Alternate Universe Twist
by Saiyan Moon Goddess
Summary: A messed up spell sends Yugi to a dimension alternate to theirs. Alone he faces doubles, prophecies, crazy people, and an evil entity while his friends watch the adventure like a homemovie. R&R No flames.Mild YYH Xover
1. Prologue: Valentine's Day

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Well, this is it. the sequel to Eien Nemuri's ending # 1. I hope you like it because there's gonna be some twists, and Yugi will be the hero here! Yep, no Yami to help. Nope. And I couldn't think of a better title." 

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Prologue: Valentine's Day-

Valentine's Day. A day for friends and love. A day Yugi had always shared with his friends. However, he had always dreamed of celebrating this day with a girlfriend. Now, his dream had come true.

While all his friends stayed with his/her girlfriend/boyfriend, Yugi went to his girlfriend's house. Thay had plans of spending the day together. Besides, Marlene had something to show him. Three weeks had passed since the Game Shop had burned down. Yugi's grandfather had returned from his business trip. After getting over his shock of finding out what happened, he said the Game Shop could be rebuild somewhere else. While this was done, Yugi and Yami stayed at Ryou and Bakura's house with minor chaos happening every day. A few days later Sugoroku left, again. Yugi and Marlene's relationship grew stronger. And since each of them possessed a Twin Sword, Marlene now trained Yugi to use the gold sword's power, also teaching him some swordfighting and self-defense, much to Yugi's protests.

Yugi reached Marlene's house and knocked on the door.

"I'll get it!" Yugi heard a male voice inside.

'Marlene has company?' Yugi thought confused.

The door opened and Yugi saw a tall man with long red hair and emerald eyes. He could pass for a girl if you didn't look right. The man looked down at him and smiled.

"Ohayo." he greeted him. "You must be Yugi."

"And you are...?"

"I'm Kurama, Marlene's cousin."

Yugi's eyes widened. "Kurama?! You're Kurama?!" He smiled. "I've always wanted to meet you. Marlene has said so much about you."

"I know. That's why I used my real name. Please, come in." He stepped aside and Yugi went inside. Kurama closed the door. "Marlene is in the living room."

Yugi ran to the living room before Kurama could see what he had hidden behind his back. Marlene sat on the couch talking with a girl her height. She had long mint green hair and crimson eyes. Marlene broke her conversation when she saw her love. She smiled.

"Ohayo, Yugi-koi. What have you got there?" She tried to look behind his back, but he wouldn't let her.

Yugi pulled out a red rose, Marlene's favorite flower, and gave it to her.

Marlene's eyes sparkled. She took the rose and smeled. "Oh, Yugi-chan. You're so sweet. Arigato." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. He blushed. Kurama walked into the room.

"You already met my cousin Kurama." Marlene said and pointed a hand at the girl beside her. "This is Yukina, Kurama's girlfriend. And..." Her eyes turned sad slightly. "She's Hiei's twin sister."

Yukina bowed, saying hello. She too looked sad. "Too bad I didn't knew he was my brother until after he died."

Wanting to changed the sad subject, Yugi turned to Kurama. "So why did you came to Domino City?"

"To visit." Kurama replied.

"And to give me this." Marlene took a seathed sword on the table. She showed it to Yugi. "This was Hiei's katana. He always carried it."

"Hiei said he wanted you to have it, Marlene." said Kurama. Marlene nodded.

"Well, we have to leave soon." said Yukina. "So we're going to explore the city a little more. And you need some time together." Yukina smiled and winked at Yugi.

"Thanks for the visit." Marlene said. She gave Yukina and Kurama each a kiss on the cheek and a hug. Then they left.

"So, Marlene, you said you had something to show me before we went on our date." Yugi said.

"Oh, yeah. I remember. Hold this for a moment please." She gave the katana to Yugi. It was heavy, but not as heavy as his Twin Sword even if it was bigger because his was made of real gold.

"I was just practicing a new spell. Would you like to see it?" Marlene smiled at him.

"Of course."

"Okay. But I warn you, it's still experimental. Let's see." She raised her hands in front of her chest. Some kind of white glitter sorrounded them.

"It's pretty. What does it do?"

Marlene turned to glass of juice on a nearby table. She went to it and blew some of the glitter in her hand to it. The glitter sorrounded the glass and it disappeared.

Yugi stood beside her holding the katana. "Where did it go to?"

"I'm not sure." Marlene said truthfully. "I think this has to do with AU."

"AU?"

"Alternate Universe. I just transported the glass to an AU. The only problem is I don't know how to bring it back. I have to practice more." She turned to Yugi. "Where were you planning to take me today, Yugi?" The glitter was still in her hands.

"I was thinking..." He stopped when Marlene sniffed. "Marlene?"

"Wha-ah, ah,...ACHOOO!" Marlene sneezed over the glitter. Not noticing she sniffed and said: "Gomen, it's my alergies for smelling the rose so deeply....Yugi?"

The glitter had fell all over Yugi. He began to disappear. "Marlene, help me!" he yelled in panic.

"Yugi!" She reached over, but Yugi disappeared and her hand touched air. She searched her surroundings. He was gone. "YUGIIII!!!"

End Prologue

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Want more? Just tell me. And REVIEW!"


	2. Chapter 1: Familiar, Yet It Is Not

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "This is great! Just yesterday I read the first of Yu-Gi-Oh! comic books! I saw the episode where Yugi put the puzzle together and met Jou and Honda. It was funny and exciting! I loved it!"

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 1: Familiar, Yet It Is Not-

Yugi opened his eyes slowly and groaned. His head hurt like hell. He sat up and put a hand on his forehead while the other held on to something. He waited for his head to stop pounding and looked down to see he was still clutching the katana Marlene gave him.

"Hiei's katana." he whispered and took in his surroundings. He was sitting on a soft bed, the room was dark, the walls were made of stone, and the room was decorated with artifacts that looked from the Middle Ages.

'What is this place?' He then noticed he was dressed in a black and purple tunic. This place, his new clothes, reminded him of when he went inside that virtual game to help save Seto. (I don't have to explain, this happened in the series.)

'Is this really an alternated universe? Then...how will I go back?' His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the room's door opening. A man stepped in.  
"Ah, you're awake." he said. "I was starting to become impatient. You've been sleeping for hours."

Yugi blinked, eyes widened. 'No way! Isn't that....Pegasus?!' "Pegasus?" he asked uncertaintly.

"Pegasus?" the man said. "I never thought you were one for good humor. Don't you remember me? It's me, Max."

"Uh, yeah." Yugi stared at him. The man looked exactly like Pegasus, except that his hair was short and he didn't wore the Millenium Eye.

"Really, boy." Max said. "I thought you were a house person. You always stayed isolated in your home and never came out. I mean, your brother hardly leaves the place also." He sat beside Yugi.

'What is he talking about?' Yugi thought. 'I don't have a brother.'

Max stared at Yugi in the eyes. "So tell me, Nessuro, what were you doing unconscious in my garden?"

(SMG: "I took names randomly from my japanese diccionary.")

"Nessuro? But my name is Yugi, not Nessuro." Yugi protested.

"Nessuro, if this is a joke is really lame." said Max looking bored.

"But I'm telling you the truth! I don't know anyone called Nessuro."

Max eyed Yugi up and down seriously and searched his eyes to see if he was lying. But his eyes looked so sincere. "Well, Nessuro never looked at me like that anyway. He despises me." said Max. "But then again, Nessuro...." He didn't finish the sentence. "Now that I see you closely, you don't look exactly like him. Nessuro is a bit taller, his eyes are dark, and his brother would die of shock if he had your....innocent-looking eyes."

"Who is Nessuro? And his brother?"

"Nessuro owns mosts of the lands in this kingdom. He's the most rich and powerful man next to the king. He and his little brother Neil have live together since their parents died some years ago." Max explained.

"Gee, that's awful." said Yugi.

"But that's not all of it. Ever since their parents died, Nessuro and Neil hardly leave their home, especially Nessuro. He became distant to everyone. Hardly everyone has seen him."

"How old is he?"

"Eighteen, and his brother is sixteen."

Yugi stared at the katana. 'What kind of world did I end up in? I just learned I have an alternate double, or something.'

"Yugi, since you're not Nessuro, then tell me what were you doing in my garden."

Yugi turned to Max. "I...I was lost."

Max glanced at his katana. "Are you a wandering warrior?"

Unconsciously, not knowing a good excuse to explain his situation, Yugi said: "Hai!" 'What else can I say? I'm came from another dimension? He'll never believe me!'

"Do you have anywhere else to go?"

"Iie." Yugi shook his head. 'Please don't ask me where I'm from.' he pleaded mentally.

"I could use another bodyguard. The last one I had was too weak. What do you say?"

'He must be pretty powerful to have bodyguards. It's my best chance. I could stay here until I find a way back to my dimension.' "Sounds great." He answered.

"Good, but first I would like to test just how good of a warrior you are." Max said. "I want you to challenge my strongest soldier."

Yugi paled slightly. 'Challenge? I don't like the sound of that.' "Okay." 'Did I just say that?!'

"Come along, then." Yugi and Max stood up and left the room. The walked through a hallway. "Korosu must be in the training room."

Along the way, a girl dressed in drags passed by them, bomping into Yugi in the process. "Oh, excuse me." Yugi said. But the girl didn't seem to hear him and continued her way. He barely got a glimpse of her face because she walked so fast.

Max noticed the girl and the little incident. "Worthless slave." he muttered calmly. "I'll have to deal with her later."

'That girl...' Yugi turned around to look at the girl once more. She was gone.

"Come Yugi. Were here." Yugi turned again and followed Max into a room. As soon as he entered he wanted out. The training room had such a strong sweat smell, Yugi felt nauseous.

"Korosu, I have a new challenge for you." Max called a huge man sitting in a corner of the room, who was sharpening a sword. The man stopped what he was doing, stood up, and approached them.

"Who wants to challenge me, my lord?" Korosu said.

Yugi stared wide-eyed. 'Bandit Keith?!' The guy did look like Keith, but his hair was long to his shoulders, tied in a low ponytail, and he was bigger than the Keith he knew. 'I'm suppossed to fight HIM? It's like asking for suicide. Besides, what am I going to fight with? I don't have my Twin Sword with me. Wait.' He looked down at the sword he held. 'Could I use Hiei's katana? Maybe. It's my only choice.' He didn't notice that Max and Korosu were done talking until Max called him.

"Yugi, Korosu is ready. I must warn you that he won't go easy on you. So you can't go soft on him either. Understand?"

Yugi gulped and nodded.

"You can make it a fight to the death if you want." Max declared and stepped away from the danger zone.

'And he looks willing to kill me.' Yugi thought grimly as he saw the bloodlust in Korosu's eyes. 'Unfortunately, there's no turning back. I just hope what Marlene taught me was enough. Yugi and Korosu got into fighting positions. Yugi held the sword in his left hand and got his right hand close to the hilt, ready to unseath it. They stared at each other's eyes. Yugi's eyes were serious while Korosu looked really to kill. They waited for a signal.

Max drank from a glass cup of wine. When he finished, he let it drop. It broke.

That was the signal.

To Be Continued....

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Come on! Tell me you want more! I know you want to!" /laughs insanely/

Yugi: "Please review! I want to know what happens too."

YGO crew: /sitting in chairs and eating pop corn while watching the movie (story)/ "And us too!" 


	3. Chapter 2: It's Her, But Different

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Damn. Something's wrong with again. If I leave more than one space between paragraphs, the writing appears all together in my stories like I didn't leave any space at all."

/Lookalikes/

1.Korosu - Bandit Keith

2.Max - Pegasus

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "I'll write more later as the story goes on."

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 2: It's Her, But Different-

Korosu charged at Yugi, and disappeared. Yugi was shocked for a second but then came to his senses and quickly pulled out his sword and brought it up. Yugi managed to block Korosu's sword a few inches from his head.

'He's so fast!' Yugi thought desperately, but managed to hide his fear.

Korosu chuckled. "Not bad, for a kid." Korosu surprised Yugi by kicking him in the chest, sending him a few feet back and knocking the wind out of him. He charged again.

Yugi, still on the floor, rolled out of the way just in time and Korosu's sword hit the floor, cracking it. Seeing an oportunity, Yugi slashed with his katana and jumped away.

"Damn you!"

Yugi turned to see what damage he had done and saw Korosu holding his injured shoulder. It was cut up deeply and bleeding badly.

'I must've hit him too hard.' Yugi thought.

Korosu snarled. "Nobody has even injured me and lived to tell!" He lunged for the small teen and lashed at him. Yugi blocked. It went on like that for a while, swords crashing into each other. Korosu was so fast, Yugi couldn't hit back.

'I have to use his speed and strength against him.' Yugi was quite fast himself and knew a lot of good moves thanks to Marlene's training. When Korosu attacked again, Yugi dodged, tripped him, and slashed as hard as he could. A scream was heard. Yugi made another jump, did a flip in the air, a landed gracefully a few feet away. He turned and did another battle stance just in case.

Korosu's sword fell to the floor with a loud metalic sound and Korosu fell holding his left side, which bled heavily. He stayed down, moaning in pain.

Yugi approached his opponent cautiously as he turned to lie on his back. He managed to keep his hand from shaking and brought the tip of his katana, holding it to Korosu's neck.

"Give up?" he asked. The big man only growled at him.

They heard clapping. Yugi didn't look up at Max as he approached, clapping his hands. "That's enough." he called. "Congratulations, Yugi. No one has ever injured Korosu and escaped unharmed. You truly are worthy of being my bodyguard." He turned to Korosu. "And Korosu, go to the medical wing and take care of those wounds. You know I hate blood spills on my floor."

"Hmph." Korosu grabbed his sword and stood up, still holding his side. He limped out of the room without another word.

"Here, Yugi." Max gave Yugi a piece of cloth. "Clean your sword before it gets rusty." Yugi did so and gave him back the cloth. He seathed his katana.

Just then, a servant entered the room. "Master, dinner is ready."

"Very well, you may leave." Max said to the man, who bowed and left. He turned to Yugi. "Would you like to join me, Yugi? I'm expecting company tonight."

"Who?" Yugi asked.

"A few friends, nothing more. Come, I want them to meet my new bodyguard."

Yugi followed Max out of the room. "As my new bodyguard, Yugi, you must keep your weapon close to you and stay close to me all the time unless Korosu comes to replace you when it's his turn. And you must stay alert as well. Understand?"

Yugi nodded. They were both quiet when they walked into the dinning room.

A group of men and women sat at a long table, talking while slaves served them food. Their voices stopped and they turned to Max as he and Yugi entered the room, the slaves bowed and continued what they were doing. Max sat between two empty seats and signaled Yugi to seat beside him. He did and everyone stared at him.

"This is Yugi, my new bodyguard. Don't judge him by his size. He defeated Korosu."

Yugi kept his serious face, but on the inside he was nervous with all the stares. Korosu later entered the room and took the other seat next to Max. And everyone started eating. The food was great. Servants entered the room to serve different classes of desserts now. Yugi noticed that all the servants looked tired and skinny. Most of them had bruises on their bodies. But what really caught Yugi's attention was the young girl approaching the table carrying two big plates that were filled with smaller plates with desserts. She appeared to have trouble walking and struggling to keep the plates in balance. And for some reason, he had a feeling it wasn't because of the plates' weight. He stared at her.

'She looks so familiar. Could it be?' Yugi lost himself in the girl's eyes that held anything but life. 'She looks so much like....Marlene....'

The girl had short spiky blonde hair to her neck and she had gray eyes. She wore less clothes than the other servants because hers were the most torn up and she had bigger bruises than anyone else. She looked like she was about to collapse.

And she did. Her knees buckled under her. Crash She fell down from all the weight on her arms. The plates fell on her and broke. She was covered in pastry and plate pieces. Some of them cut her skin. She pulled herself to a kneeling position. Yugi was about to get up to help the girl, but Max got up first. He looked at the young woman with rage in his eyes.

"Stupid girl, now look what you did!" he yelled at her. The girl raised her head and stared at her master. Yugi was surprised to see her emotionless face. That's when he realized, this was the girl who bumped into him earlier in the hallway.

Max went to the girl and grabbed her hair roughly, pulling her head backwards. "How dare you be clumsy at a time like this?! In front of my guests, no less! And this is not the first time! Do you enjoy humiliating me like this?! Do you?!"

The girl said nothing. Max slapped her hard and released her hair in the process so the force sent her down. The girl just sat up, not even flinching at her red cheek.

Yugi froze, shocked at the scene unfold before him. He stole a glance at the other guests. Why weren't they doing anything to stop Max? But when he looked into their eyes, he saw them glaring at the slave girl.

The girl stood up slowly. Apparently something was wrong with one of her legs. But she barely got halfway when Max grabbed her arm and threw her back down.

"Did I say you could stand? The floor is where you belong. Now apologize to my guests or I'll make sure you won't be able to walk tonight at all."

The girl stared at him defiantly. "Everybody makes mistakes." she said.

"What did you say?" Max said dangerously.

"You heard me...BE-ASS." She spat at his feet.

Max hit her again. "You BITCH."

A woman stood from the table. "That girl should learn respect to her superiors. You must teach her to learn her place, Max. And you must do it right here, in front of us."

"Yes!" Everyone agreed, except for Yugi, who feared what would happen next.

Korosu went to Max and handed him a heavy whip. "You brought this on yourself, worthless slave."

The girl stared at the whip, but still showed no fear or remorse. Max grabbed her and forced to turn around, facing everyone but with her back to him. He ripped the clothes off her back.

Yugi gasped. Her back was disfigured, covered in scars and serious bruises that looked that they'd never heal. It was a very bad sight for sore eyes. Max brought the whip up.

-Crack-

Yugi winced at the sound. The girl said nothing but gritted her teeth.

-Crack-

The blonde refused to cry out. She wouldn't let her so called master and his guests the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

-Crack- -Crack- -Crack- -Crack-

Blood dripped down her back and to the floor. Her back looked worse than before. Yugi couldn't stand the sight of her blood. Max raised the weapon again.

"Stop!" he called and ran to Max, standing between him and the girl.

Max stared at Yugi confused, the smiled. "Well, of course you can have your turn hitting the bitch, Yugi. I forgot that I always let my new guards give the first lashes." He offered the whip to Yugi. "Here. Do you want to continue?"

Yugi stared at the whip. Who can he say such things? Asking Yugi to hit the poor girl. 'He's so cruel.' He glanced down at the girl and noticed she was glaring at him with a murderous stare.

She hadn't given that look to Max. She was giving it to him, Yugi, the one trying to protect her. Of course, she didn't knew that. But why did she gave him such hateful stare? Yugi dismissed those thoughts and looked back at Max seriously.

"No, I won't hit her." he said. Max looked shocked.

"Oh? Then get out of the way." Max pushed Yugi aside. Yugi was taken by surprise and fell on his butt. Everyone but the girl and Max laughed at him.

-Crack- -Crack- -Crack- -Crack-

"No, leave her alone!" Yugi got up to stop him, but Korosu suddenly grabbed him and pulled him out of the room.

"Thank you, Korosu." Max called as he continued his "punishment".

-Crack- -Crack- -Crack- -Crack-

Outside the room, Yugi could still hear the cracks of the whip hitting flesh. He wanted to go back in but Korosu blocked his way.

"Why are you doing this?!" Yugi yelled at Korosu.

"The lord doesn't like it when people interrupt him when his punishing his slaves. Apparently he didn't noticed your soft heart. You shouldn't have a soft heart. And you call yourself a warrior?" Korosu smirked, mocking him.

"You heartless..." Yugi didn't finish the sentence because he heard a yell coming out from inside the room.

"Korosu!"

"That's my cue." Korosu said and walked into the room. Yugi stayed on the door, watching everything. Yugi's eyes widened in horror when he say the servant girl lying in a puddle of her own blood. Korosu went to her and picked her up not so gently and carried the unconsious body away. The other slaves looked terrified.

"What are you waiting for?!" Max yelled at them. "Clean up this mess!!"

The servants quickly complied, afraid for their lives.

Korosu walked pass Yugi. "Where are you taking her?" he said.

"To the medical wing. Even after all her disobedience, she's still the lord's personal slave. She's his favorite and he doesn't want her dead. Her wounds should be tended just enough to stop the blood. Then back to the lord's chamber she goes." Korosu continued his way.

"Personal slave?"

Korosu looked at him over his shoulder. "You dummy. She's his sex toy, what else?"

Yugi froze again. 'No, it can't be.' He ran after Korosu. At the end of the hallway was the medical wing. But Korosu went in and locked the door behind him so Yugi couldn't go in. Just a few seconds later, Korosu came back out, but still wouldn't let him in. He grabbed Yugi's arm and dragged him through the hall in the oposite direction.

"Where are you taking me?" Yugi asked, trying to break free but to no avail.

"The lord asked me to show you to your chamber. And don't bother trying to return to the medical wing. I gave orders there so they wouldn't let you in tonight." They came to a big door. Korosu opened it. "Enjoy your stay." He threw Yugi inside.

"WHOA!" Yugi fell face-first. He heard the door slam. "What a brute." He glanced at his surroundings. His room looked comfortable enough. A big bed, some luxurious furniture, a few things he would need here and there...

He stood up and wiped the dust off his clothes. Then he went to his bed and sat on it.

'I can't just sit here knowing that Max could hurt Marlene again. What am I going to do?'

He sat there for a few hours, thinking. He couldn't help but wonder if he would meet all the people that looked like his friends. He met a girl that looked like his love. He wondered about those other boys Max mentioned. Nessuro and Neil...

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a rough voice yelling.

"Stop squirming!" A slap was heard.

"Hey, leave something for the lord." another voice said. "He'll kill us if we waste her before hand."

Yugi stood up, grabbed his katana, and ran to the door. He opened it slightly and peeked through the crack.

Two strong guards were dragging a blonde through the hall. She struggled weakly, but they tightened their hold on her.

'Marlene!' Yugi came out the door and followed the guards silently, hidding in the shadows. The poor girl still looked like she was run over, but she wasn't bleeding anymore and looked like she had taken a bath. Her skin was paler than before. She was probably dirty when she served the food.

With Yugi right behind them, the two men came to a room with double doors. They knocked, and waited.

"What is it?" came Max's voice from inside.

"We brought you your TOY, my lord." said one of the guards. Yugi didn't like the way they refered to her as toy. The only thing he could think of was that Max was going to 'play' with her, as in, play with her body.

"Just throw her in and leave." The guards opened the door, threw the blonde inside and closed the door again. They left as the double doors were surrounded in a silver glow.

'I have to save her!' Yugi came out of hidding as soon as the guards were gone. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. 'What the-?' He put his ear on the door, but couldn't hear anything. 'Must be some kind of lock and sound-proof spell. And I don't know how to counter it. Now I'll never save her!' He thought desperately. The girl he loves was inside a room with a perverted mad man and there was nothing he could do. Nothing, except wait.

To Be Continued......

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Well, how do you like that? There's gonna be lookalikes from YU YU HAKUSHO too! Review please!" 


	4. Chapter 3: Sorry, But We Have To Rush Of...

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "And now, the chapter you'd been all waiting for!"

/Lookalikes/

1. slave girl - Marlene 2. Max - Pegasus 3. Korosu - Bandit Keith 4. Neil - ??? (Try and guess)  
5. Nessuro - ??? (Try and guess)

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 3: Sorry, But We Have To Rush Off-

'NO! I feel so usless!' Yugi punched the room's door in frustration. 'She's in there with that man raping her and I can't do anything! I don't even know what's going on in there!' He pressed his ear to the door again, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn't hear anything because of the sound-proof spell. 'Marlene, please be okay. No, she definately won't be okay. Please be ALIVE!'

He waited for an hour, though it felt to him like forever, and heard sounds through the door. He quickly hid in the shadows as the door opened. Max stepped out wearing a robe.

Max sighed contently. "That was...refreshing." Yugi was disgusted by his words. How could he agree to be bodyguard to this monster? There was no way he would protect him. He waited until Max walked away, probably to take a bath or something, and quietly sneaked into the room. He approached the bed reluctantly, not liking the quietness of the room, and what he saw made his stomach turn.

"Oh God."

The girl laid stark naked on the bed. Her wrists were tied painfully to the bedpost with rope that bit into her skin, blood and bruises covered her body, her left arm was in a weird position as well as her whole body looked twisted in some way. Her face was also covered in cuts and her hair was plastered to it with sweat and blood from a cut in her head. Not standing the sight anymore, Yugi ran over to the nearest window and emptied his stomach of all the food he ate that night.

Gasping for breath, he managed to calm down. He turned and calmly walked back to the bed, his eyes looking anywhere but at the mangled dead-looking body. With trembling hands, he grabbed the bed sheets and pulled them over the girl's body to her neck. Finally he looked at her and gasped. The girl was glaring at him.

'She's awake after all of that?!' Yugi thought in desbelief.

"What...are you...doing...here?" the girl said through clenched teeth. She felt pain shoot through her entire body.

"I..." Yugi started. 'Why is she looking at me like that?' She looked like she wanted to jump him and strangle him. "I came to help." he said softly.

A look that resembled shock crossed the girl's face, but it was gone instantly and she looked away. "Leave me alone." she muttered.

"I can't." Yugi reached a hand to her chin and turned her face gently to him. "I can't leave you like this."

The girl said nothing and still glared. And that pained him. He felt like it was Marlene who looked so hatefully at him. 'Why Marlene? Why do you hate me so?' Yugi pulled out his katana and carefully cut the girl's bonds. Putting his sword down he removed the bloody ropes, taking great care of her wrists, and threw the ropes aside. The blonde winced when he rested her hands on her sides.

"I promise I won't hurt you." he said.

"That's what everyone says." the girl growled. "Why not get it over with? The son of a bitch left me crippled for the night anyway."

Yugi sighed. 'I can't believe I'm going to do this.' He gulped, took a deep breath, and removed the bed sheets, exposing the mangled body. Feeling a nosebleed coming, he placed his hands over the injuried and they glowed. The cuts slowly closed up, the blood disappeared, and the bruises healed. He touched the dislocated bones on her hips and shoulder and they popped into place. Her broken arm bent the right way as well as the rest of her body with sickening cracks and pops. Yugi was relieved when he was done and covered her body again. The girl couldn't hold back the shocked look this time.

'I don't understand.' the girl thought. 'Out of all people, why is HE healing me?'

Yugi gasped for air and wiped the sweat from his face. Those healing powers he learned from Marlene took a lot out of him.

"I'm almost done." he said. He touched her face with gentle hands. The cuts and bruises on her face healed. Then he touched her head and the cut there was sealed. "There. I healed your back too."

"Why?" was all she could say.

"Because I'm not like Max or Korosu or all those other people." He smiled. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop him, Marlene."

The girl glared. "What did you call me? My name is Koneko, and I don't eat any shit from anyone, not even that bastard."

"You've never call him master, have you?"

"He's not my master!" she growled. "He's a perverted freak who bought me from another bastard!"

"Who did he bought you from?"

"I'm not gonna say his name. It makes me puke." She sat up in bed sharply, but a wave of dizzyness hit her and she almost fell back if Yugi didn't prop her up. "Don't touch me." Yugi didn't listen and supported her. He couldn't help but stare at the scars in her back, then turned to the beautiful gray eyes that were once more glaring at him. Yugi let her go and she leaned to the bestpost.

"He'll be back soon. You should get out of here." Koneko muttered, not looking at him.

"I can't leave you here with him." Yugi said. He pulled at her arm. "You're coming with me."

Koneko snatched her arm back. "Why should I go with you? You're the same as Max. A cheat, lying, pervert."

"No, I'm not!" Yugi protested. "I just want to help you. Please, I promise that I won't...uh...touch you."

Koneko didn't look convinced. She snorted. "Fine, but if you even dare to think about raping me, I swear I'll kill you. Even if I die trying." She said the last sentence so low Yugi didn't hear it.

"Let me help you up." Yugi said as he once again took Koneko's hand and help her stand up. In the process the sheets fell off her body. Yugi turned beet red at the sight of her body, but Koneko didn't seem embarrassed at all. Just having her in front of him made Yugi realize this alternate version of Marlene was slightly taller than Yami's height.

"What are you staring at?" Koneko frowned deeply.

'Is she used to people using her so much that she's used to others seeing her naked?!' Yugi pushed those thoughts away and took off his long cape. He gave it to Koneko. "Cover yourself up with this. It's cold outside."

Koneko hesitantly took the cape and covered herself. Yugi went to grab his katana on the floor. "Who are you?" she asked.

Yugi put the sword away and smiled at her. "My name is Yugi. I came from far away. I'm new in this place."

"Are you from the Kotao kingdom?"

"The what?"

Koneko looked surprised. "You don't know about Kotao, our neighbor kingdom?"

"Let's talk on the way." Yugi walked out of the room, followed not too closely by Koneko. "Hurry." They jogged to Yugi's room and quickly went inside. Yugi locked the door and sat down on a chair, away from the bed to show Koneko that he wouldn't try anything. Koneko remained standing a few meters away from him.

"You must come from the woods if you don't know about the kingdoms Kotao and Taokao." Koneko said.

"Which is which?" said Yugi.

"Taokao is where we are right now and Kotao is our neighbor kingdom. But if you were from Kotao, you would've been executed." Yugi gulped. "Kotao and Taokao have been in war for 8 years."

"Why?"

Koneko sighed. "You don't know anything, do you? Kotao's king, queen, and their sons were once invited to our kingdom to have dinner with our rulers. But the food given to Kotao's king came out poisoned, and he died. His wife, now widow, blamed it all on our king and declared war. She's even coaching her oldest son to continue the war when he becomes king."

"Who did poison the king's food?"

"........" She closed her eyes. "No one knows." She opened them again. "Neither our king or queen were responsible for the incident and they tried undo the missunderstanding, but Kotao's queen Emi is very stubborn. Just a few months ago, our queen was killed and the young prince was kidnapped. He's the heir's younger brother and it's believed that he was tortured to death." She looked away. "Sad, isn't it?"

Yugi looked down, feeling sorry for all the people's lives involved in the war. "Are the two princes willing to continue the war after their parents?"

"No. They think of the lives lost in the war. Kotao's heir Zukoi knows that his father death wasn't our king's fault and is waiting to become king so he can end the war. The same goes for our prince Umi. He understands that it was because of the war that he lost his little brother and wants to end it. Everyone else is starting to lose hope."

"Oh."

Suddenly they heard a noise coming from the window.

"What was that?" said Yugi.

It sounded like something was outside in the bushes. Yugi held his katana and went to investigate. He looked at the window, but he saw nothing. He poked his head out the window.

A head popped out of the bushes and they were face to face.

Yugi yelped and fell backwards in surprise. Koneko went to Yugi but didn't help him up. She glared at the head in the window.

"Who are you?"

A black figure climbed into the room through the window. He wore mostly black clothes, a cape and hood, and a white mask covering his whole face. He was smaller than Koneko.

"Koneko." he whispered. "I came to get you out of here."

Koneko's eyes widened. "Neil?" she asked in desbelief.

The young man nodded. Yugi stood up and stared at the boy. The only thing he could see through that dummy-like mask he wore, was a pair of aqua-green eyes.

"You're Neil?"

Neil turned to Yugi, and gasped loudly in something more than surprise.

"His name is Yugi." Koneko said quickly before he could say anything.

Neil turned to Koneko. "Where did he come from?"

Koneko shrugged. She walked to Neil and hugged him tightly. When they pulled away, the blonde stared at him with concerned eyes. "What are you doing here, Neil? Are you crazy?! You're putting your life in grave danger!"

"Are you worried that Max will find out?" Yugi asked.

"Well..." Koneko started, but Neil gave her pleading eyes. "Yes." she said.

"Let's get out of here, Koneko." Neil said. "I'll take you back to Kage. I can't take all this guilt anymore."

"No, Neil. You must leave!"

"Koneko, listen to me. I don't care what happens to me. I'm not leaving without you, you hear me?"

Koneko sighed. She knew he was determined. Yugi stayed silent, staring.

'Are they in love?' He felt jealousy creeping up his heart. 'I can't see his face, but that voice....It sounds like...'

"Yugi."

Yugi looked up at Neil. "You should leave too." he said. "Come with us. We're going to town, then to the palace."

"Why the palace?" Yugi said confused.

"Because that's where Kage is. Don't worry, we'll get inside with no trouble at all."

"Oh, okay."

"Come on."

They all climbed out the window and ran off into the night, straight to a pitch black village.

"Where are we going, Neil?" Yugi said.

"To the toy shop." Neil asnwered. "There's someone waiting for us there."

They ran into the village. It looked like a ghost town. Houses looked worn out and old, some even broken. Everything looked abandoned.

"This is what the war has done to our home." Neil said sadly. They walked the rest of the way to an abandoned shop. Neil looked around. The coast was clear. He knocked on the door twice, paused, and knocked again three times.

A peephole on the door opened and a pair of eyes looked outside. "Neil, is that you?"

"Yes, Akira, open up."

The door opened. Neil, Koneko, and Yugi went inside. The door closed. The place was a mess. It looked like nobody had cleaned the place in months. They were greeted by a woman with red hair in a pony tail and pink eyes, and a man with black hair and eyes.

"Who are you?" Yugi said.

"I'm Akira." said the woman. "And this is my husband Maki."

Maki smiled at the three teenagers. "If you need a place to stay, we have a spare room."

(SMG: "For everyone to know. These two are the first YU YU HAKUSHO lookalikes. I'm telling you like this because Yugi never met them. Akira is Botan's lookalike and Maki is Koenma's.")

"You go on ahead with them, Yugi." said Neil. "I need to speak with Koneko."

Yugi nodded and followed the two shopkeepers. Neil turned to Koneko. "Koneko, that boy is so much like-"

"I know." Koneko interrupted.

"Are you sure he's not-?"

"I'm sure."

Neil sighed. "He may be the one." Through his mask, his eyes looked sad. "Well, Koneko, I'm sorry. But this is as far as I can go. You stay here with Yugi and go to the palace at morning."

"You're going back?" Neil nodded. Koneko looked worried. "Neil, don't. Please, stay here, with us."

"I...I can't." Neil looked down. "Nessuro needs me."

"Then, please, be careful."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"But what if something happens?"

"Hey, I survived this nightmare for 8 years now. The first prophecy came true. Then the second one will too. We've got to have faith in the oracle's words, and in Yugi."

"You really think he's the one?"

"Yes, that's why I want you to stay with him. Watch over him. And I know he will keep you safe also. I trust you. We can't let...HIM knowing about Yugi. Now I'm afraid something bad will happen to my brother. Besides, Kage will kill me after he finds out what happened. He thinks you're dead."

Koneko nodded.

"I'll be going now." He walked pass the blonde. Koneko didn't say anything as she heard the door open and close.

"Koneko?" The blonde raised her head as Yugi approached her.

"Did Neil leave?"

"Yes."

"Why did he have that mask on?"

"Believe me, Yugi-sama, you don't want to know. Please, excuse me."

Koneko walked pass Yugi and to a room. Yugi stayed there in shock and confusion. Not only did Koneko not glare at him but she also called him Yugi-sama. And she looked so depressed. Why?

To Be Continued.....

NEXT TIME: It's been a long time since I wrote one of these. It helps built up the suspense. In the next chapter, Yugi and Koneko go to the palace. They meet the prince, heir to the throne, and his bodyguards. The young prince talks about his missing, maybe dead, brother, and Koneko seems to be hidding something. (More than she said in this chapter.) What is Koneko worried about? Will she tell Yugi about two the mysterious prophecies?

NEXT CHAPTER: -Chapter 4: About Princes and Bodyguards-

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "REVIEW OR I SWEAR I WON'T CONTINUE!" 


	5. Chapter 4: About Princes and Bodyguards

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Thank you for the reviews, you people. You really give me hopes to keep this up."

/Lookalikes so far/

1. Koneko - Marlene

2. Neil - ???

3. Nessuro - ???

4. Akira - Botan

5. Maki - Koenma

6. Max - Pegasus

7. Korosu - Bandit Keith

8. Prince Umi - ???

9. Kage - ???

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 4: About Princes and Bodyguards-

Yugi woke up to a small shake on the shoulder.

"Wake up, Yugi-sama, the sun has risen."

Yugi opened his eyes and saw Koneko kneeling beside his futon. He sighed sadly. He had hoped this was just a dream. He smiled at her.

"Good morning, Koneko."

Koneko forced a smile. She still looked depressed. "Good morning, Yugi-sama."

Yugi sat up and stared at her. "Why do you call me -sama?"

Koneko's eyes widened and she blushed a strawberry pink. She glared cutely and look the other way. "Don't get used to it. I'm just used to being a slave. I've been so for 8 years. It's not like I'll be calling you that in public."

"But I thought you never called Max your master. Was it your previous one?"

This time, Koneko's look turned into a real glare and she looked down. "You don't know what he was capable of." she muttered. She stood. "Breakfast is ready if you want to eat." She left the room.

Yugi sighed, stood up, and grabbed his katana that laid beside him. "I want to help her, but I need to know what's going on first." He left the room.

Yugi and Koneko ate breakfast with Akira and Maki, sitting on the floor in front of a short small table. And there was little to eat. All they had was cold hard bread, a small piece of fruit, and water. Yugi and Koneko didn't complain, but they weren't exactly enjoying it either.

"I'm sorry." said Akira. "There's not much to eat because of the war. This is all we have. And we had to use our chairs and half of the table's legs for firewood. We're afraid of leaving the house, but we have to or we'll starve."

Yugi smiled. "It's okay, don't worry about it." He looked down at his now empty plate. "I do wish I could stop the war though."

"Maybe you can." Yugi stared at Koneko in desbelief. But she didn't look at him. "Unfortunately, the war is the least thing you should worry about."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you someday." She turned to Akira and Maki. "Thank you for everything, but we must leave to the palace now."

Akira picked up the empty dishes. "You're welcome to come back any day you want."

"Thank you." Yugi said and left the house with Koneko.

Outside, the sun shine over the village. But the place was still deserted. Not a sound, as if no one lived there.

"How many people live here?" Yugi asked as they walked toward the huge palace in the distance.

"I don't know." Koneko replied. "It's been 8 years since I've been out of Max's house, and actually breathing fresh air. I'm 17 now. And last I remember, thousands of people lived here. I don't know how many have died in the war. I bet Kotao's village looks the same. Both armies use the villages for their battles."

"That's awful."

"That's why everyone is afraid to leave their homes. A soldier could just jump out of nowhere and kill them."

As they approached the palace's gates, two soldiers guarding the front saw the them. They held their weapons up, ready to attack. Koneko placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder. He looked up at her. "Let me handle this, Yugi-sama." she whispered and went ahead to the guards.

"We are here to see prince Umi." she said.

"You don't have permission to pass, woman." said one of the guards. "Nobody from the village is allowed in the palace, let alone to see the prince. Who are you? And why is the kid carrying a weapon?" He pointed over her shoulder at Yugi's katana.

"Well, you know how it is in these dangerous days." Koneko said confidently. "The war makes our own home a danger zone. We are here to talk to the prince, and a soldier, Kage. I am sure you know Kage. And he knows me. "My name is Koneko." She gestured to Yugi. "And this is Yugi." She turned back to them. "If you won't take us to the prince, bring Kage here and I'll prove that I'm not lying."

The guards glanced at each other and nodded. One of them went to Koneko...and in a sudden move he grabbed her, turned her, and held his blade to her throat.

"Koneko!" Yugi reached for his weapon.

"No, Yugi! Don't!" Koneko yelled. Yugi froze. "I'll...be okay. Stay there."

"I'll look for Kage." the other guard said and left.

"And if we find out you're lying, I'll cut your throat." said the man holding Koneko. Koneko showed no fear. She knew she could convince Kage. She just hoped that Yugi wouldn't do anything stupid.

Yugi kept his hands at his sides, fists clenched. He wanted to protect Koneko, but if he tried anything the guard would surely hurt her. He stared at the big man. He was ugly with carrot-colored hair and small black eyes (SMG: "Yep, it's Kuwabara, from YYH!"). The one who left to find Kage was a redhead, blue-eyed young man. (SMG: "Jin, from YYH also. I liked that guy.")

'Whoever this Kage person is, he better get here soon before I lose control and use this katana to cut this guy to pieces.' Yugi thought.

A few minutes later, the redhead guard came back with another guard. He was as tall as Koneko, with spicky black hair up like a candle flame and a white starburst, and almond-shaped ocean blue eyes. He wore a black armor and cape, boots and gloves even, and a white headband. (SMG: "YES! Hiei-koi is in the story! God, I luv that guy! He's the best!")

"Iwa!" the young man yelled as he walked over to them. "What are you doing to that girl? Release her, now!"

Iwa didn't let Koneko go and stated, "This girl claims to know you, Kage. Who is she?" He turned so the blonde was face to face with Kage. His blade cut her skin a little and a thin line of blood went down her neck. Yugi glared at the guard.

Kage glared dangerously. "Do I need to repeat myself?" he growled. "Release her."

Iwa glared at his captive. Koneko glared back and bit his hand hard enough to make it bleed. Iwa yelled in pain and released her. The blonde grabbed his arm and did a karate move, throwing him foward. Everyone stared in desbelief as he fell before Kage's feet and Koneko wiped the dust off her hands.

"Next time keep, your hands to yourself." she said to the fallen man. She turned to Kage. Her glare softened. "Kage? Is that really you?"

Kage eyed her from head to toe, holding his sword in case she tried anything. He frowned. "You do look familiar, somehow. Who are you?"

"I'm not surprised you don't recognize me. It has been 8 years, but I'm sure you still remember the name Koneko." She smiled.

Kage's eyes widened. "Kitten? No, it can't be." He shook his head. "Koneko is dead. She died on the first day of war." He glared at her. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, girl, but you're not the first one to try to pass as Koneko to get into the palace." He turned his back on her. "I should cut your head off, you Kotao spy. But from all the fakes I've seen, you're the one who resembles her the most."

Koneko's smile did not waver. "Really? Can a 'fake' know something that only Koneko knew?" This time she smirked.

Kage turned to her. "And what do YOU know that only Koneko did?"

Koneko grinned. "Hey, this is something I SWORE on life and afterlife that I wouldn't tell a soul." She motioned him to come closer with her finger. Kage approached her catiously. When he was close enough, Koneko something whispered on his ear.

Yugi watched curiously. 'I wonder what is she saying.' He saw Kage's eyes widened in what appeared to be fear or terror. 'Now what?'

Kage almost jumped away from Koneko, his face turning into different shades of red. "You really are Koneko! Only SHE knew THAT! Kitten, you promised!"

"Don't worry, shadow, I haven't told anyone." Koneko said.

Kage sighed in relief. (SMG: "Sorry, guys. I would reveal what she said to him...but Hiei would never forgive me. I can't just humiliate him like that. Hurt him, yes. But humiliate him in THAT way is too much.")

"I'm also the only one who dared to do this." Koneko kissed Kage on the cheek. "Kage you've grown, but I see you haven't change THAT much."

Kage still stared wide-eyed. He grabbed her by her arms. "Kitten, how can you be alive? That day, when Kotao's soldiers attacked the village, I saw your house being burned down. I found your parents' bodies-"

"But you never found mine, right?" Koneko interrupted him, looking sad. Kage shook his head. "You were a soldier since childhood, Kage. A good one too, very noble. I'm sorry I worried you like that."

"What happened then?"

"I can't tell you now, maybe later." She pulled her arms away from him. "Hurry, Kage, you must take us to prince Umi."

"Us?" Kage glanced at Yugi, just noticing him. His eyes widened again. "He...he..."

"I know." Koneko said. "This is Yugi. He's with me."

"H-hi." Yugi said unsure, sweatdropping.

Kage looked back and forth between Yugi and Koneko. He looked somewhat...what?...Jealous?

"Alright." Kage said slowly. He turned. "Follow me."

Yugi and Koneko followed him into the palace. Inside, they passed many passages, corridors, and stairs before they came to a room with a large door. A guard stood beside the door. When he saw the group, he raised his head. He had long silver hair and golden eyes.

'Kurama!' Yugi thought as he stared at the man. He looked exactly like Marlene's cousin, but older. And his sharp golden eyes didn't make him look like a girl at all.

(SMG: "Let me explain that. Those who know about Kurama's human form and demon form. No, Kurama is not in his youko form. He's in his human form, but he DOES have silver hair and golden eyes like his other transformation. And he's not a demon here, therefore doesn't have a demon form. Neither does Hiei, I mean Kage.")

Kage stepped in front of the man. "Otousan, my friends would like to see the prince."

The guard, Zorro, eyed the two behind his "son". (SMG: "Don't you start saying 'El Zorro', from the movie or the series. I just couldn't contain myself and called him that. And, are you wondering why Hiei called Kurama father since they don't look alike? I'll tell you later.")

Zorro looked down at the blue-eyed teen. "Umi gave me strict orders not to let anyone bother him. I can't let them pass."

"But you must." Zorro turned to Koneko. "If you want the 'Prophecy of Light' to be fulfilled."

Zorro's eyes widened in recognition. "I see. You may pass then." Kage stood beside him, his face down.

"I'll...wait for you here....Go on ahead." he said, his voice sounded like he was sad or ashamed for some reason. Yugi and Koneko went inside and closed the door.

The room was larger than Max's room back where they had come from, more luxurious too. Well, this was the prince's room. What else could they expect?

"Whoever it is, please, don't bother me." said a voice, which sounded familiar to Yugi. "I only wish to be left alone."

They turned to a lone figure standing in front of the window, his back to them. He wore royal robes and had long blue hair.

"Umi, it's been a long time." Koneko said. "Do you still remember your childhood friend, Koneko?"

At that, prince Umi turned to them. Yugi stared in awe at the boy's big dark brown eyes that showed kindness, yet sadness and shock at the same time.

'It's...Ryou?' Yugi thought. 'Who will I meet next?' The prince was a mirror image of Ryou. The only real differences were his blue hair and he didn't have his brittish accent.

"Who are you?" he asked them.

"I guess we have some explaining to do." Yugi said. (SMG: "Finally. I kept him quiet for too long.") He and Koneko explained about Max, how they escaped, and how they came there. But Koneko kept a few things out. Like the little conversation she had with Neil before he left, so she didn't mention anything about the prophecies or the oracle. Umi had stared at Yugi weirdly, but before he could say anything, Koneko explained that it wasn't what he thought. Also, during their talk, Yugi learned that Koneko, Kage, Prince Umi, Neil, Nessuro, and Zukoi (Kotao's heir) had been best friends since they were kids.

"And that's all we can say." Koneko finished.

"I'm so glad your alive, Koneko." the prince said, giving her a friendly hug, which she returned.

"Umi, why didn't Kage want to come in with us?" Koneko asked after pulling away. "He looked like something was bothering him."

Umi nodded and looked sad. "So he still blames himself."

"Blame himself for What?" Yugi said.

"It's been a year since Kage was appointed as my little brother Cerulean's bodyguard." Umi replied. Koneko looked surprised. "Since he proved to be strong, wise, and loyal in my father's eyes, he was to protect my brother with his life, just like Zorro protects me. But a few months ago, Kage came to my room seriously injured saying he had taken Cerulean to the garden and was watching over him while he played when they were ambushed by the enemy. I have no idea how those soldiers came into the palace's grounds, but they did. Kage was outnumbered and he was hurt badly. My little brother was taken prisoner. Kage never forgave himself, neither did my father. Blinded by his anger, he almost executed Kage for failing. Good thing I stopped him, though." He smiled sadly. "I never blamed Kage for what happened. I trust him with my life, and so did Cerulean." He turned back to the window, looking straight at the blue sky. "Besides, I know my little brother is still alive, I just know it."

Koneko smiled. "Zukoi would never let anyone harm him, right?"

"Right, but I'm still worried."

"Then we'll rescue him."

Umi and Koneko turned and stared at Yugi. He looked determined. Umi stepped in front of him.

"But you can't." he protested. "Nobody has entered Kotao's palace and come out alive. My father already sent spies there to rescue my brother. None of them have returned. I can't let you risk your lives to help me."

"It's not just for you, prince Umi, I want to help prince Cerulean too." Yugi said. "Even if I have to go alone and fight all of them by myself, I will rescue him."

Yugi didn't look like he was going to back down. Umi sighed in defeat. Koneko stepped foward and stood beside Umi.

"Yugi, if you're going, count me in too."

Yugi nodded. "Thank you, Koneko."

"Wait." said Umi. "If you insist to go, I can't let you go unescorted. Take Kage and some of my best guards with you."

"Sure, we could use the help." said Yugi.

"Tell Zorro about this. He'll know what to do."

Yugi and Koneko turned to leave. Koneko waited until Yugi was out the door and turned back to Umi. "Don't you worry, Umi. Yugi is the one from the prophecy of light."

Umi looked shocked. "He is?"

"Yes, soon chaos will be over." She turned. "We can still save them."

"I hope so."

Koneko left, thinking to herself. 'I'm sure Yugi is the one. If he's not, then we're doomed. Nessuro and Neil will be the first to die. And I have to get a hold of myself. I still can't help but feel that way when I'm around Yugi. I can't step too close to him or I'll go beserk. Memories just don't go away that easily.'

She met Yugi, Kage, and Zorro outside. After they chose their followers, the rescue mission begun. With Yugi in the lead. What will the outcome be?

To Be Continued.....

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Longer than planned. But I hoped you loved it. Please don't start thinking Koneko will become the star of the story. It looks like I made that kind of twist in Eien Nemuri between Marlene and Yugi, but not here. Yugi is the hero, and that's that."

NEXT TIME: Yugi, Koneko, and Kage, with a few other soldiers, head for the palace in Kotao to save prince Cerulean. Will they meet Zukoi and HIS little brother on the way? What will happen? And, who do you think is the heir to Kotao's throne? Who's the queen? And what other characters will I show from YGO or YYH next? Who do you want to see, I mean, read about?

NEXT CHAPTER: (Sorry, couldn't think of a title before hand. You'll have to wait.)

IMPORTANT!!: Would you like a small scene back in Yugi's world? You know, like what happened to Marlene and Yugi's friends? Maybe Yami? If you want to, you have to tell me, or I can just consentrate on Yugi's journey to the palace and nothing else.

/SMG'S NAME DICCIONARY!!/

/TITLE OF THE DICCIONARY: "DID YOU KNOW?" SPANISH OR JAPANESE/ENGLISH/

Yugi: game

Koneko: kitten

Kage: shadow (Suits him since he's Hiei's alternate self)

Hiei: flying shadow

Zorro: fox

Korosu: kill

Umi: Ocean

Yami: darkness

/THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY/

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "PLEASE REVIEW!!" 


	6. Chapter 5: Problems Back At Home And The...

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "YES! I'm celebrating today! And can you guess why?" 

All Anime characters: /carrying birthday gifts "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAIYAN MOON GODDESS!!"

/Cheers and yells are heard/

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Thank you to all my loyal fans. I'm still writing my novel, doing school, and a lot of other things. If I ever publish my novel, I'll be sure to tell you guys in one of my fanfics. Though I'm afraid that someday I may quit doing fanfiction. But don't worry, I'll write as much as I can, and I'll continue reading."

Yugi: /looking cute/ "How old are you, SMG?"

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "I'm 16 years old! Ain't that great! I'm getting my learners permit and in two more years I'll be out of high school. Once in college I'll have less time to write in , but I'll do my best. 10th grade in my school is hard enough right now."

Yami: "What are doing today?"

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Well, let's see." /counts on fingers/ "I'm eating out tonight, a big desert, karate class (all guys, /drool/) where my friends said they would give me an unforgetable treatment, and a Baskin Robbins' cake at 9:30, because I was born at that hour."

/A shadow creeps behind SMG and wraps its strong arms around her waist./

/SMG gasps in surprise and looks behind her. She smiles lovingly when she spots her one and only./

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Hiei-koi!"

Hiei: "Happy birthday, kitten." they kiss with passion

Saiyan Moon Goddess: thinking "That's what I like about my realm. I can do absolute WHATEVER I want."

Kurama: "Hey, guys! What are you doing standing there? Let's celebrate!"

SMG and Hiei: /break kiss/

Ryou: "What are we going to do?"

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "You guys go ahead and party. Hiei and I want to be alone on our date tonight."

Yugi: "I thought you said you had other things to do."

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Your forgeting that time is endless in my realm. Once I finish my date, I'll return right on time to do my list of chores. But Hiei comes first. Toodles." /she runs off with Hiei/

Lady Vegeta4eva: "Oh well, then let's enjoy the story while SMG is away."

Everyone: "YEAH!"

/Lookalikes so far/

/From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)/  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess

/From Yu-Gi-Oh!/  
1. Nessuro - ???  
2. Neil - ???  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou  
4. Cerulean - ???  
5. Zukoi - ???  
6. Max - Pegasus  
7. Korosu - Bandit Keith

/From Yu Yu Hakusho/  
1. Kage - Hiei  
2. Zorro - Kurama  
3. Akira - Botan  
4. Maki - Koenma  
5. Iwa - Kuwabara  
6. Iwa's partner(I never said his name) - Jin

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 5: Problems Back At Home And The Haunted Forest-

In Yugi's universe...

Everyone sat around in the living room inside Marlene's house, waiting. All yamis and hikaris (except for Yami and Yugi) were there, including Serenity, Jou, Honda, and Seto. They were waiting for a certain pair of white-haired teens to come back.

Ryou and Bakura come into the living room. Everyone gasped. The tomb robber had a black eye, a split lip, and a bleeding nose, not to mention his clothes looked slightly torn.

"Uh, how's Marlene?" Jou asked Ryou.

"She kept on until her energy was completely drained." said Ryou. "She fainted so I put her to bed. But don't worry, she'll be okay."

Serenity turned to Bakura. "How is Yami?"

Bakura pointed at his face. Everyone stared.

"I actually let him hit me until he was satisfied!" Bakura said, sounding angry and frustrated. "He still blames himself for the midget's disappearance and I just told him to let it all out."

"We can see that." said Seto.

"Shut up, CEO." Bakura growled.

"Guys, please, don't fight." Ryou pleaded. He turned to his yami. "Isn't there any way to bring Yugi back?"

"Don't look at me." said Bakura, shrugging. "I didn't do the spell and neither Yami or I know a thing about alternate dimensions." He walked pass the group, toward the kitchen.

"Where ya going?" Jou asked.

"I'm going to get a raw stake for my eye." Bakura replied dryly and went into the kitchen.

"Why don't you use the icepack?" Ryou called after him. "The raw meat will make you face smell!" Ryou ran into the kitchen. The others sighed.

The white-haired hikari and yami came back a few minutes later, Bakura holding a small icepack to his eye.

"What are we going to do now?" Malik asked. (Malik: Malik/Yami Malik: Marik)

They heard glass breaking and someone curse loudly.

"And I thought you had a dirty mouth." said Ryou to his yami.

"I'll go see him." Serenity said and stood up.

"NO!" Jou pulled her back down, looking panicked. "I'm not gonna let Yami beat you like he did to Bakura."

"I'll go then." Ryou started upstairs, but Bakura quickly grabbed his arm.

"Forget it." he said. "If the pharaoh does so much as lay a hand on you, nobody will find his body parts, not even in the Shadow Realm." Bakura walked upstairs. Marik followed him.

They went into the room they kept Yami in. They had to lock Yami inside until he calmed down. And that was a day ago that he was locked. The others waited. They heard some more glass breaking, curses and yells, and a loud thud. Serenity started fearing the worst.

"Hikari!" called Bakura. "Bring up the First Aid Kit! The pharaoh hurt himself with a mirror!"

"Coming!" Ryou ran upstairs with the kit in hand. Ryou went to the guest room and saw Bakura and Marik laying Yami on a bed. The pharaoh had his hands and feet bleeding from numerous cuts. He noticed glass shards scattered on the floor and the broken mirror.

"Uh, what happened?" he managed after recovering from his shock.

"When we came in he was walking over two broken lamps." Marik explained. "He punched the bathroom mirror and the mirror over there and broke them both. Then he attacked us. We had to knock him out."

"Something's not right here." Bakura said, staring at Yami's body. "Something about Yugi's absence has made him go mad!"

Ryou removed the glass shards from Yami's hands and feet, cleaned the wounds, and bandaged them up. He noticed the big bruise on the back of his head and took care of that too.

"I think you hit him too hard." He turned to the other two. "Move him to another room. I'll take care of this mess later." The yamis nodded and took the pharaoh to a different room next to Marlene's. This time they were careful enough to remove all breakable and sharp objects from the room, then locked him in.

Ryou went to Marlene's room to check on her. He smiled in relief when he saw her still lying on her bed, spleeping peacefully. The blonde was exhausted from all the spells she did to try and bring Yugi back to their dimension. None of them worked and she was completely drained, and not sleeping for two days didn't help either. She was out like a light.

"Ryou!" Bakura nearly screamed from the other room. Alarmed, Ryou ran into the room.

"What?! What is it?!"

"Yami's disappearing!" Marik yelled.

Ryou took a look at Yami and he gasped with widened eyes. Yami became transparent for a few seconds, then went to normal.

"Is he joining Yugi?" said Ryou.

"No!" Bakura said. "Yugi's not in this dimension anymore. He's seizing to exist. Soon, there will be nothing left of him."

"Why?"

"I don't know!"

Ryou stared sadly at Yami. 'Yugi, you have to come back. Or Yami will be a goner.'

8888888888

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE:

Yugi, Koneko, Kage, and three other soldiers walked through the forest that covered most of the Kotao and Taokao territory. They planned to avoid going directly through Kotao's civilian area to avoid more soldiers. But taking this path was also a great risk.

One of the three soldiers was the redhead one who guarded the palace's gates, his name is Jin. (SMG: "Yeah, I let him keep the name. I like it.") The other two: one was the same heigh as Jin, he has black hair and brown eyes, and his name is Yuke (Yuseke); the second one was a blonde with sharp brown eyes, and his name is Jono (Jou). (SMG: "I'm getting tired of making up names.") Koneko and Kage tried to convince Zorro to acompany them. But his duty is to protect to prince. So he stayed.

"Why don't soldiers use the forest to have their fights instead of the civil areas?" Yugi asked.

"Because, this forest is believed to be haunted." said Kage.

"What?"

"Years before the war, something unexplained happened here." Koneko said. "People from both Kotao and Taokao started talking about whispering spirits in the forest. Few were brave enough to come here and try to investigate. What happened was that when they came back, they were all scared out of their minds. They said they saw horrible monsters here. In the trees, the grass, plants, soil, everywhere. But most of all they heard these voices whispering in the air at night, like a lament. But absolutly nobody has been able to understand what these voices are trying to say. They weren't harmed in any way, but they were in shock for a long while. Ever since then, no one dares to come here. Even the bravest soldiers are scared. They say that if the whispering voices don't drive you insane, the monsters will."

"So basicly, it sounds to me like these monsters are either only trying to scare people, or their trying to give them a message." said Yugi.

"You think so?" said Koneko. "Well, even if they were trying to deliver a message, nobody can understand what they're saying. It's daylight now. We won't get to Kotao until tomorrow. So we must endure the night here. With them, whoever they are."

"No problem." said Jono. "I'm not scared of some whispering voices or monsters."

"Me either." said Yuke.

"This could be fun." said Jin.

"Don't say that!" Kage scolded his men, pointing his sword at them. "You still don't know what's out there and you treat it like a game! Focus for once in your life!"

Yugi pulled Koneko down and whispered to her. "Is he always like this?"

"Sometimes." Koneko whispered back. "He used to be ignorant like them, even if they are older than him. But Zorro trained him so hard he matured before time."

Yugi and Koneko got a little ahead of the group and continued whispering to each other.

"Is Zorro really his father?" said Yugi. "They don't look a thing alike."

"No." said Koneko. "Kage is an orphan. He was found as a baby in the forest with his parents' dead bodies nearby. He was hidden inside a tree trunk and his parents were apparently killed by wild animals. Zorro is the one who found him while training in the forest."

"So he kept him?"

"Yes. He brought him back to the palace. Kage had no other relatives known, so the king let Zorro keep him and raise him as a loyal soldier to his majesty. Zorro raised him like he were his own son. That's why Kage sees Zorro, the one who took care of him and was always there for him, as a father."

"Did he ever asked about his parents?"

"Yes, but nothing was known about them. They lived inside the forest, away from the kingdoms. He felt sad not knowing anything about where he came from. But having Zorro, me, and the others made him forget about all that. He was truly happy until the war tore us apart."

"Koneko..."

"Yes?"

"Kage said he saw your house on fire when the war started, and he thought your were dead. What happened that day? How did you end up with your previous master and then with Max."

Suddenly, Koneko lost a bit of control on herself and started shaking for no apparent reason. "Sorry, Yugi-sama. I don't want to talk about it." She started walking faster and ahead of him, but stopped only for a second and turned to him again. "By the way, Yugi-sama, did you know you have the same katana as Kage?" Then she went ahead of the group, not noticing the sky turning dark.

"Huh?" Yugi looked down at his katana, then turned to look at Kage's sword. They were the same.

'Wait a minute. Does this mean that he's...' A female scream broke his thoughts.

Kage was instantly alarmed. "Koneko!" He ran in direction of the scream, leaving the others behind. Yugi and the others ran behind him. That's when they started hearing whispering voices in the air.

'What is that?' Yugi thought as he ran. 'It sounds familiar. Is this the strange lament?' Somehow, he could understand what the voices were saying.

'What are you trying to tell me?' he said mentally to the mysterious voices. But the whispers becames a bit faint and he heard only a few words.

Yugi-sama...dark one...inprison...spirits...forest...shadows...trapped...

Yugi was awaken from his trance when he almost ran right into a tree. He looked around and saw a lonely figure in the darkness of the forest. At that moment, raindrops fell from the sky as strong wind blew. A storm started. Asuming the figure was either Kage or Koneko, he ran to it. But when he came close, he froze in his tracks.

The person dressed in a black hood and holding a sharp blade, had no face.

To Be Continued....

Ryoko: "Countdown for 9:30p.m.!"

Yugi: "Ten!"

Yami: "Nine!"

Ryou: "Eight!"

Bakura: "Seven!"

Powerpuff Girls and Rowdyruff Boys: "Six!"

Lady Vegeta4eva: "Five!"

Trunks: "Four!"

Vegeta: "Three!"

Kurama: "Two!"

Jou: "One!"

Everybody present: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SMG!!!"

Saiyan Moon Goddess: enters room/gets excited "OMG! You guys!" /hugs all her friends/ "But where is Hiei?"

Kurama: "We have a special surprise for you SMG!" /he disappears/

/Everyone sits down with SMG in the front row and a huge stage before them. The curtain lifts up. SMG looks curious. Heavy Metal music starts playing. Everyone screams in excitement. A smokescreen comes up. A shadow comes out through it, holding a microphone and an electric guitar./

Saiyan Moon Goddess: /gasps/ "It's Hiei-koi!"

/And so are Yugi, Yami, Ryou, Bakura, and Kurama. They all hold instruments and microphones and are all dress as SMG's favorite heavy metal band, LINKING PARK!/

/Music plays hard. SMG screams Hiei's name as well as everyone else. The group starts singing, with Hiei on the lead, one of SMG's favorite songs from the latest LP CD, Meteora./

/DON'T STAY/

SOMETIMES I NEED TO REMEMBER JUST TO BREATHE SOMETIMES I NEED YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM ME SOMETIMES I'M IN DISBELIEF I DIDN'T KNOW SOMEHOW I NEED YOU TO GO

DON'T STAY FORGET OUR MEMORIES FORGET OUR POSSIBILITIES WHAT YOU WERE CHANGING ME INTO JUST GIVE ME MYSELF BACK AND  
DON'T STAY FORGET OUR MEMORIES FORGET OUR POSSIBILITIES TAKE ALL YOUR FAITHLESS WITH YOU JUST GIVE ME MYSELF BACK AND  
DON'T STAY

SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I TRUSTED YOU TOO WELL SOMETIMES I JUST FEEL LIKE SCREAMING AT MYSELF SOMETIMES I'M IN DIBELIEF I DIDN'T KNOW SOMEHOW I NEED TO BE ALONE

DON'T STAY FORGET OUR MEMORIES FORGET OUR POSSIBILITIES WHAT YOU WERE CHANGING ME INTO JUST GIVE ME MYSELF BACK AND  
DON'T STAY FORGET OUR MEMORIES FORGET OUR POSSIBILITIES TAKE ALL YOUR FAITHLESS WITH YOU JUST GIVE ME MYSELF BACK AND  
DON'T STAY

I DON'T NEED YOU ANYMORE I DON'T WANT TO BE IGNORED I DON'T NEED ONE MORE DAY OF YOU WASTING ME AWAY.

I DON'T NEED YOU ANYMORE I DON'T WANT TO BE IGNORED I DON'T NEED ONE MORE DAY OF YOU WASTING ME AWAY.

WITH NO APOLOGIES

DON'T STAY FORGET OUR MEMORIES FORGET OUR POSSIBILITIES WHAT YOU WERE CHANGING ME INTO JUST GIVE ME MYSELF BACK AND  
DON'T STAY FORGET OUR MEMORIES FORGET OUR POSSIBILITIES TAKE ALL YOUR FAITHLESS WITH YOU JUST GIVE ME MYSELF BACK AND  
DON'T STAY

/After more screams for encore, the group sang /Faint/, /Numb/, and finished. SMG was so happy she ran up stage and kissed Hiei countless times for making her birthday incredible./

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Hiei-koi, you really know how to make a tough girl happy."

Hiei: /smirks/ "I know."

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Well, guess I'm 16 now. When I start driving, I'll give you a ride."

Hiei: "Do I look like I'm asking for a deathwish?"

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "WHAT?!" /she pounces on him and they wrestle on the floor/

Lady Vegeta4eva: "There they go again." /calls outs/ "Place your bets! I'm getting the drinks!"

/And the curtain falls./

Saiyan Moon Goddess: /outside of party/ "Let's see. I got "Yu-gi-oh! Duelists of the Roses" game, the "Xenosaga: Episode I" game, the "Linking Park Meteora" CD, a stragety guide, a Yugioh magazine, and 20 dolars. Not bad!"

NEXT TIME: Nope, all the excitement from my birthday had me short on ideas, so wait for the next chapter.

NEXT CHAPTER: (Same as above.)


	7. Chapter 6: Cryptic Message From The Deep

/SMG and Hiei kept wrestling until they were both too tired to continue. The had been doing this for hours. The lay on the backs, panting./ 

Saiyan Moon Goddess: /yired voice/ "I'm /pant/ not...through.../pant/ with you...yet."

Hiei: /tired as well/ "..."

Lady Vegeta4eva: /calls out/ "Who bet for a draw?!"

???: "I did!"

/Yugi, Ryou, Malik, Usagi, Trunks, Cloud, Gohan, Kurama, Leon, chaos, KOS-MOS and Ryoko collect their money./

Lady Vegeta4eva: /smiles/ "SMG, get up. You have a story to anounce!"

/SMG gets up, catches her breath, and wipes the dust from her clothes. She helps Hiei to his feet./

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Alright! On behalf of 'dragon's' review, I'm doing a little change to the story I wasn't planning on doing. But to dragon I must inform that I can't transport Yami to the other dimension. That would ruin everything. However thanks to my very genius friend DJ, I'll do something better. He has given me the idea I needed to satisfy this reader. Thank you once again, DJ."

Anime characters: /cheer for DJ/

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "And now, on to the next chapter."

/Lookalikes so far/

/From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)/  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess

/From Yu-Gi-Oh!/  
1. Nessuro - ???  
2. Neil - ???  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou  
4. Cerulean - ???  
5. Zukoi - ???  
6. Max - Pegasus  
7. Korosu - Bandit Keith  
8. Jono - Jou

/From Yu Yu Hakusho/  
2. Kage - Hiei  
6. Zorro - Kurama  
9. Akira - Botan  
10. Maki - Koenma  
11. Iwa - Kuwabara  
12. Jin - Jin  
13. Yuke - Yuseke

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Can you guess who the YGO characters with the '???' symbols are? Hey DJ! Give it a try!"

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 6: Cryptic Message From The Deep-

Yugi froze in his tracks.

The person dressed in a black hood and holding a sharp blade, had no face.

"The Reaper of Cards?" Yugi whispered in desbelief.

The reaper raised its curved blade over Yugi's head. The teen's eyes widened in fear.

Suddenly, the monster disappeared in thin air.

"Huh?" Yugi looked at his surroundings, but he saw no sign of the reaper. "What happened?"

/Yugi-sama, help./

"What?" A black figure dressed in a hood appeared before him. Was it the Reaper of Cards again? But this one wasn't holding a curved blade, but a magic staff instead, which Yugi found rather familiar.

The new monster moved one hand slowly and pulled the hood over its head, revealing a face. Yugi gasped.

"You're...you're Black Magician Girl!"

(SMG: "Did you think it was the Black Magician? Well, you were wrong. Besides, Black Magician Girl is my favorite.")

The magician smiled down at him. "Yugi-sama." her voice sounded like a whisper. "We've been waiting for your arrival. You're the only one who can free the others."

"Who?"

"A tremendous evil force was freed into this world many years ago." she continued. "He's the one who caused the war between the two countries. And he prevented us from stopping the war before it was too late. He cursed all of us. He wanted to trap our spirits in this forest for eternity. I was the only one who managed to escape. I can do nothing against him, but you can. You can free everyone from their prison."

"But who are the others?" 'Unless they are who I think they are...' "And how are you so sure I can help?"

"I know so. Didn't you hear when your friend Koneko mentioned the Prophecy of Light?"

Yugi thought for a moment, then it came to him.

FLASHBACK

"If you want the 'Prophecy of Light' to be fulfilled."

END FLASHBACK

'Koneko...' Yugi then snapped. "Wait a minute! Koneko! Is she alright?! I heard her scream!"

"Calm down, Yugi-sama." said Black Magician Girl. "She's alright. Your other friends found her safe and sound. They are now looking for you. But you must hear this before they find you. It's very important. And don't worry if you see monsters. Those are their spirits calling for help. But they can only appear for a few seconds, then disappear. Like ghosts. They have no intention of harming anyone, but if they do, they can't touch."

"Okay then, what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

Black Magician Girl nodded. "I have little time, so take these with you and go in peace, Yugi-sama." She handed him two cards. "But beware, soon you will face great danger. Your life and your friends' lives will be on the line. Also, what you read from those cards you must not tell your friends."

"Why not?"

"Because, HE will know. He can read people's minds. But he doesn't have the power to read yours or mine. Your power exceeds his." Black Magician Girl began to disappear.

"Black Magician Girl!" Yugi called, holding the two cards she gave him. "Will I ever see you again?"

Black Magician Girl smiled. "You can count on that. Until then, Master." She disappeared.

"Whoa, this is so weird." Yugi whispered. He searched his surroundings. "I wonder if Koneko and the others are okay." He looked down at the cards. One was white with a message written in golden letters, the other was black with silver letters. He put the cards into his pocket and walked through the dark forest. The whispers in the wind seemed to die down. 'Well, I guess it could be worse.'

Suddenly, the ground under his feet collapsed, forming a huge hole. Yugi started falling backwards. His eyes widened in surprise.

"AHHHHH!!!" He grabbed on to the first thing his hand could reach. A vine. He stopped in mid fall, one hand holding onto the vine, the other holding onto the wall of dirt the plant was hanging from. "Phew!" He looked down to see how deep the hole was and gasped. The hole's bottom had sharp spikes. He looked away quickly. ÔÔ "This is Worse! THIS IS MUCH WORSE!"

8888888888

And, while Yugi's hanging there, let's see what's going on in his universe.

Yami's eyes snapped open, his face blank. He glanced around the room and stood up slowly from the bed, letting the sheets fall to the floor.

(Yami: "Am I okay now"  
SMG: "Nope"  
Yami: /groans/ "Ugh.")

Yami walked to the door and tried the doorknob. It was locked from the outside. The eye of Ra glowed on his forehead. The doorknob turned black and melted until it was gone for good. He opened the door.

(Yami: /shocked/ "I didn't know I could do that!" /turns to SMG/  
SMG: /shruggs/ "Me either. I've never seen you do that on tv or manga"  
Yami: "Oh"  
Hiei: "That looks more like something I would do"  
SMG: /smirks/ "I know.")

As the pharaoh took a step out of the room, he heard voices approaching.

"I'm going to check on Yami." came Ryou's voice.

"Not without me you're not." said Bakura.

Yami opened the nearest door to him and went into the room, locking the door behind him. He heard footsteps approaching and leaving. The pharaoh glanced around the room and spotted a small figure on the bed. He approached it.

Ryou gasped as he and Bakura reached the open door to Yami's room. Ryou ran to it and looked inside.

"He's gone!" he said.

Bakura, who was wearing the Millenium Ring at the moment, looked down at his ring as it glowed.

"He didn't go far." he said and looked behind him, at a certain door.

Ryou's eyes widened. "Marlene!" Ryou went for the door and turned the knob. "It's locked."

Yami knelt beside the bed and stared at Marlene's sleeping face with his own blank look.

Bangs were heard from the door. Yells followed.

"Yami, open the door!" Ryou yelled.

"Pharaoh no baka(1)!" yelled the boy's yami. "We know you're in there!"

Yami ignored the noise and reached out to touch the sleeping blonde.

(Yami: "I thought you paired me up with Serenity"  
SMG: "I did! Now be quiet"  
Yami: /whining/ "But I don't get it"  
Bakura: "Crybaby"  
SMG: /to Yugi/ "Did you let him eat cookies again"  
Yugi: /whistles guiltly/  
SMG: /to Yami/ "You used to have a crush on me, remember"  
Yami: "Oh, I get it.")

He touched her cheek softly. Being a light sleeper, the skin contact made Marlene stir and open her eyes half way. She stared at the pharaoh sleepily.

"Yami-jisan(2)?" she whispered.

She stared and her eyes opened fully when she noticed Yami's red eyes getting smaller and a mad looked crossed his face. The eye of Ra glowed on his forehead and he raised his hand as if to strike her.

Thinking quickly, Marlene's eyes widened as she quickly pushed two fingers against the pharaoh's forehead, touching the golden eye.

"Yami(3)!" she yelled and a blast of light erupted from her fingers, sending Yami to crash back-first into the nearest wall. The pharaoh slid down the wall and sat on the floor, back resting against the wall, head down, and unmoving.

Marlene sighed in relief and got out of bed. She approached the fallen one and knelt beside him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Yami groaned, his hand going to his forehead. He lookced up at Marlene, who smiled as his crimson eyes returned to their normal size. The insane look was gone.

"Marlene?" Yami said confused, then he noticed his bandaged hands and feet. "What happened?"

"I don't know." CRASH "What the-?!" Marlene and Yami turned to see the room's door had been blasted open. Ryou and Bakura stood on the doorframe, wide-eyed. OO

"What do you think you're doing?!" ÒÓ Marlene yelled as she glared at both of them.

OO Ryou pointed a finger at Bakura, looking like a little kid. "He did it!"

Bakura sweatdropped. ¬¬ "Traitor." he muttered.

"Bakura!" Marlene was at the tomb robber's face, actually intimidating him. He looked nervous. "You better fix my door!"

Now it was Bakura's turn to point accusingly, at Yami. "Why am I the only one being yelled at? The pharaoh no baka melted a doorknob!"

The princess turned to the confused Yami. "Is this true?"

"What did I do?" Yami said.

"He metled the doorknob from the room next to this one." Bakura said.

"Yami!" Marlene said sternly. "You owe me a doorknob."

"Excuse me." The three turned to Ryou. "Uh, could we consentrate in a more important matter? Yami, how did you return to normal? Just a few hours ago you went mad. And you were disappearing!"

"Don't worry." said Marlene. "Everything will be okay now. I noticed what was happening in the last second. Can you believe it? I casted a small spell on Yami so he could keep his sanity."

"Why did he go mad like that?" said Bakura.

"I'm not very good at explaining things. Well, Yami once said that dark cannot survive without light. My only guess is that one, and that without his light he was left in the dark. Anyone left in darkness for too long goes insane, completely evil, don't you think?"

"I think you have a point there." said Ryou. "What kind of spell did you use?"

"Oh, that's easy. I simply used my powers to strengthen Yami and Yugi's bond. It was the best I could do."

"You're right." said Yami. "I can feel Yugi again."

The others turned to the pharaoh. Marlene grabbed his shoulders, worried. "Can you tell where he is exactly? Is he okay?"

Yami shook his head. "I can't tell where he is exactly. But he's alive!" Marlene hugged Yami tightly in relief. "Marlene, you're...cutting my...air."

"Sorry." Marlene let go of him. "Can you talk you him?"

"I'll try." They waited as Yami concentrated.

8888888888

Meanwhile, Yugi was still inside the hole. His grip on the vine was failing.

"I have to get out of here." he said. He placed one foot on the wall and pushed himself up, trying to clim up the wall.

Yugi!

Yugi yelped, his foot slipped from the dirt and he would've fallen right into the spikes below if he wasn't still holding on to the vine. He hang there, AGAIN.

"AGHHH!!" he yelled in frustration. /YAMI?!!/

Aibou, are you alright?

/Do I sound alright?! Wait a minute! How are you talking to me? Where are you?/

We have a bond, remember? I'm in Marlene's house. What are you doing?

Yugi sweatdrops as he looks down once again at the sharp spikes. /Oh, not much. Just holding on to a plant for dear life, about to fall into a giant shredder./

(Yami: "That sounded lame"  
SMG: /glares dangerously/ "One more word out of you and I'll tie and gag you and turn you into a girl"  
Lady Vegeta4eva: "And I'll do you a make over"  
Yami: /shuts up quick/)

WHAT?!

Yugi was desperate. /I'M GOING TO DIE, OKAY?! Just let me consetrate on getting out of this hole before I fall and those spikes pierce my ass./

Since when do you curse?

/HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU WHERE IN MY SITUATION RIGHT NOW?!/

8888888888

On the other universe, Yami gasped in surprise at Yugi's outburst. Marlene, Ryou, and Bakura saw this and worried.

"What's wrong, Yami?" said Marlene.

"Marlene, you are a bad influence on Yugi..." Yami muttered as he sweatdropped.

Marlene glared. "What's that suppose to mean? Just tell me where the hell Yugi is, DAMMIT! I'm tired of all this FUCKING waiting!!"

"She really is a bad influence." Ryou said. A quick glare from Marlene made him shut up.

8888888888

In the hole, Yugi glanced at his surroundings, curious as why Yami stopped talking to him.

"At least now I can get out of here." He heard a /snap/. Yugi looked up. "Oh no."

The vine broke, and Yugi fell back toward the spikes.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

To Be Continued....

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Go ahead and yell at me if you want to, but I WON'T accept insults to my work. Okay?

(1) Pharaoh no baka - Stupid Pharaoh or Idiot Pharaoh

(2) Yami-jisan - Uncle Yami

(3) That's NOT the name of the spell. She just called Yami's name.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: To dragon. If you didn't understand the idea given to me, I'll tell you. With Yami and Yugi's bond stronger than ever, Yami and Yugi will have some conversations during the story. Yugi will keep his friends updated on what's he's doing and they will show up more often. That's all."

/I have too much homework. I won't be able to write NEXT TIME for a while/


	8. Chapter 7: She Sees DoubleAnd Something ...

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Hi, everyone! Today, we have a guest! Say hello to my friend, DJ!" 

Anime Characters: /clap hands and cheer/

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Welcome to my palace, DJ! You can make yourself at home as long as you don't enter my and Hiei's room."

Lady Vegeta4eva: "You never shared a room with Trunks."

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "That's in the past now."

Lady Vegeta4eva: "Since when do you share a room?"

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Since Hiei came here for the first time."

Lady Vegeta4eva: /gasps/

Kurama: /smiles/ "I knew Hiei had it in him."

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "By the way, where IS Hiei?"

Kurama: "Eating ice cream in the kitchen again."

Saiyan Moon Goddess: /sighs/ "There he goes again. Okay, DJ! First thing we're going to do is..."

Anime characters: "Enjoy the new chapter!"

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Ready DJ?"

DJ: /eating popcorn/ "Let it rip!"

/Lookalikes so far/

/From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)/  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess

/From Yu-Gi-Oh!/  
1. Nessuro - ???  
2. Neil - ???  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou  
4. Cerulean - ???  
5. Zukoi - ???  
6. Max - Pegasus  
7. Korosu - Bandit Keith  
8. Jono - Jou

/From Yu Yu Hakusho/  
1. Kage - Hiei  
2. Zorro - Kurama  
3. Akira - Botan  
4. Maki - Koenma  
5. Iwa - Kuwabara  
6. Jin - Jin  
7. Yuke - Yuseke

"talk"

'thoughts'

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 7: She Sees Double....And Something Else-

Yugi fell backwards toward the spikes.

"AAAAHHHH!!!"

And suddenly he stopped in mid air, his body a few inches from the spikes.

"Huh? What the-?" he said as he floated above the spikes. He glanced up and his eyes widened at what he saw.

"Kage!" he called.

Kage knelt before the hole on the top, his arm stretched downward into the hole. His hand shook a little and sweat went down his face. He seemed to be consentrating or something.

"Kage?" Yugi called again.

Koneko came into view and kneeled beside Kage.

"Yugi, hang on!" she yelled. "Kage will get you out!"

As if on cue, Yugi's body started floating upwards, to the hole's entrance.

'How is he doing this?' Yugi thought.

Yugi floated safely out of the hole and was placed on his feet beside Kage and Koneko. Kage breathed a long sigh and relaxed a little. Yugi stared at him.

"How did you-?"

"Telekinesis." Koneko interrupted him. "He was born with mentals abilities such as telekinesis and telepathy. But he has a hard time lifting people and heavy things."

"Oh"  
8888888888

Back in Yugi's dimension, Marlene, Ryou, and Bakura stared at Yami.

"What happened?" Marlene said. "Is Yugi okay?"

"He's okay now." said Yami. "Somebody is with him."

Marlene sighed in relief, then said, "This is frustrating. I'll have to use my Telepathy Transfer."

"Your what?" said Ryou.

"Wait. Come here, Yami." Marlene went over to Yami and placed her hands on each side of his head. Her hands and eyes glowed a soft blue for a minute. Then the glow was gone.

"Is that all?" said Bakura.

"Follow me to the living room." Marlene ran out the door with the guys behind her.

When they reached the living room, the group there was either shocked or relieved when they saw Marlene and Yami. They bombered them with questions.

"Guys, wait a minute!" Marlene yelled and everyone was silent. "There's no time to explain, so I'll make it brief." Marlene only explained about her Telepathy Transfer spell.

"It's a spell I perfected a few weeks ago. I can tranfer Yami's bond with Yugi into any object and we can see what Yugi's doing. In this case, we need a tv."

"Excellent idea, Marlene-chan!" Ryou said.

"Sounds great!" Katsuya (I'm changing from surnames to first names) yelled excited. "Let's see it!"

Yami and Bakura pulled the tv closer to the big couch and set in on front. Everyone sat on the couch or the floor. Katsuya and Hiroto disappeared into the kitchen.  
"Now." Marlene knelt in front of the tv. She placed both hands on either side of the machine. They glowed blue. After a minute the glow was gone and Marlene turned on the tv. She then went to the others and sat on the couch's arm. At first, everything was static, and they started hearing voices.

"Are you okay, Yugi?" said a familiar female voice.

"How did you fall into that hole?" said a male voice.

The image cleared up on the screen. Everyone rejoyced when they saw Yugi while Katsuya and Hiroto came back from the kitchen with pop corn and sodas. They sat down with the others.

A blonde girl and a black-haired boy stood in front of Yugi.

"I don't know." said Yugi inside the TV. Everything played like a movie. "I was walking around and suddenly the ground gave up under me."

The blonde smirked. "You're heavier than you look, Yugi."

"Very funny, Koneko."

"Don't that girl look familiar?" Katsuya asked. He turned to Marlene. "Hey, Marlene, she looks like you."

But Marlene didn't hear him. She was currently staring shocked at the screen.

'My GOD, I have a double!'She turned to the red-eyed boy beside her silver-eyed double and gasped. Her eyes widened.

"It...can't...be." she whispered. She studied the boy's features. Same hair, same eye color, his eyes were more refined, face more angular, a little more muscled than she last remembered him, a little taller, and his third eye and headband were missing.

"Marlene, are you alright?" Yami asked her. When she didn't respond, he waved a hand in front of her face. "Hello?" She sat there like a statue. The pharaoh pressed one finger against her shoulder, and the princess fell off the couch to the floor like a wooden board. Her eyes stayed open.

"Did she just fainted with her eyes open?" Mokuba asked.

"Yes, Mokuba, she did." said Seto.

Yami and Bakura lifted the blonde up and lay her down on another big couch. Yami closed her eyes.

All other eyes were on the screen of the TV.

8888888888

Back in the AU, Yuke, Jin, and Jono joined up with the little group. Kage stood in the middle.

"We should get going." he said. "It's a ten-day walk to Kotao."

"Everyone, move on!" Yugi commanded. The group nodded and continued on their path toward the far country. Yugi, as the leader, walked in the front. Kage beside him. Koneko decided to stay behind the group. She seemed to want to keep distance from a certain someone.

"Is the forest that big?" Yugi asked Kage.

Kage shook his head. "We should get out of the forest by tomorrow afternoon."

Yugi nodded, determined and serious. "Good."

Kage glanced at the boy. 'This is strange. After Koneko and I found Yugi, the whispering voices of the forest were no longer heard. And the monster that tried to hurt Koneko disappeared. Not one appeared after that. Yugi is the one. I definately have no doubts about it anymore.'

Yugi was thinking his own thoughts, but they we're interrupted by a voice in his head.

/Yugi?/ Yami whispered so he wouldn't startle him.

Yugi's head snapped up in surprise. He took a quick nervous glance at Kage. Since he was a telepath, he could sense Yugi's mental conversations. He hoped his mental defences were strong enough so he wouldn't notice.

/Yami?/

/Yugi, I felt you being in danger earlier-/

/Don't worry, Yami. I'm fine./

/I know....Aibou, who those people with you?/

Yugi almost froze in place. His eyes widened a bit. /What are you talking about?/

/I'm talking about that girl that looks like Marlene, the soldier that looks like Katsuya, and the other three soldiers./

/But...how can you see them?!/

/Actually, we're all watching from a TV set./

/WHAT?!/ Yugi thought about it, then something came up. /Uh, Yami? Did Marlene use a spell called Telepathy Transfer, by any chance?/

/Why yes./

Yugi mentally groaned. /I'm going to kill her./

/Why?/

Opps. He forgot he was still talking to Yami. /It's not fair./ he whined /You can't just watch my every move like this! This isn't a movie, you know!/

/Sorry, it's already done. Katsuya and Hiroto brought the pop corn./

Yugi tensed. /Who else is watching?/

/All of our friends./

Yugi mentally groaned again. /What is Marlene doing?/

/She fainted./

/What? Why?/

/It appears she saw something in the screen that was familiar to her. I could've sworn she stared at one of the soldiers who's accompaning you, then fainted./

Yugi had an idea of who it was. Maybe this could confirm his suspicions a little more. /Who did she stare at?/

/That boy with the spicky hair and almond-shaped blue eyes./

'Kage.' Yugi thought. Then he noticed said person was staring at him with a weird look. /Yami, give me a moment./

Yugi turned to Hiei's lookalike. "What is it, Kage?"

"You spaced out for while there." Kage said, frowning in worry. "Your eyes were blank and you looked like a doll. Are you alright?"

Yugi smiled. "Yes, everything's okay."

Kage nodded and looked foward. 'I couldn't read his mind to find out what was wrong. How can his mental defenses be that strong? What is he hidding?' he thought.

Yugi mentally sighed in relief. His eyes were blank again as he continued to talk with his yami. /Yami./

/Yes, Aibou?/

/I can't talk right now. But I'll make it brief. The girl who looks like Marlene is her alternate self from this dimension. Her name is Koneko./

/The name suits her./

/Yeah, well, the boy next to me is Kage. Maybe Marlene met his alternate self in our dimension. The readhead soldier is Jin, the blonde is Jono, Katsuya's alternate self, and the other boy with black hair is Yuke. We're on a mission to rescue a kidnapped prince. That's all I can say right now./

/You're leading this group?/

/Sort of. I'm surprised they chose me to be the leader since they barely know me. But Kage is leading the way to our destination since I have no idea where it is./

/Okay. Just be careful, Aibou./

/Yami, please, I can take care of myself. I've told you that before./

/Sorry./

Yugi rolled his eyes and continued his way. 'Great. I'm going on a dangerous mission and Marlene, Yami, and the others are watching my every move. This is JUST GREAT!' He then remembered about the cards the Black Magician Girl gave him. 'I'll read their inscripcions later. In private.'

Kage turned to Yugi. "It's already late, Yugi. We can camp here and rest until morning."

Yugi nodded to him. He turned to the others. "We're camping here!" he annouced.

Everyone took out their respective sleeping bag and slept on the ground. Yugi couldn't fall asleep.

'How can I sleep when I feel like someone is watching me? And I'm not talking about Marlene and the others. Someone is out there. He's watching. I just know it. And I feel his evil presence through this whole area. I hope nothing bad happens.' He closed his eyes. Eventually he managed to fall asleep.

Unknown to him, Koneko couldn't sleep either. She was all tense up, like she was expecting something to come out of nowhere and attack. 'Damn. It's him. He's watching me again. Why won't he leave me alone? Why does he treat me this way? It's not fair. I don't remember doing anything wrong. What could I've done to deserve such treatment from him? I thought he was my friend. He proved me wrong, 8 years ago.' A tear escaped her eye and she stayed awake for another hour before going to sleep.

They were both right, someone was watching them.

Inside a dark room, a young man sat in his throne and a boy sat beside him on the floor with his head bowed in submission. The man's elbow supported his head as he stared at the big circle in front of him. This circle showed Koneko's image, sleeping restlessly. He smirked, the shadows covering his face, but not his spicky hair. He waved his free hand and the image changed to Yugi's sleeping figure.

"So, The Prophecy of Light is coming true." he said. "I won't let that runt stand in my way."

The boy beside him lifted his head to look at Yugi's image. He gasped. He looked to the one on the throne as he waved his hand again and the circle split in two. One circle had Yugi's image and the other had Koneko's.

"No, please..." he whispered. His voice hoarse and filled with pain. The bruises and blood on his body didn't help.

The man turned to him and glared. The dark one was an exact duplicate of the boy. Except that their hair was a bit different and the dark one's eyes were much darker and evil. other than that, they looked the same age. "Please what?" he hissed.

The teenager shuddered in fear. "P-Please, m-master, d-don't hurt them." he said softly.

The dark one growled and raised a hand to backhand him. The boy flinched immediately, bowed his head, and placed both arms over it, whimpering in fear and shutting his eyes tight, waiting for the pain to come.

The dark one smirked down at him and lowered his hand. "I already did you the favor of going easy on you even after you disobeyed me like that. You know I would've done more than just beat you up. Do you want me to go back on my word?"

The boy backed away, still on the floor, and shook his head.

"Good then." he turned back to the images. "I'll just get rid of the runt. And I'll take blondie back. Don't you want to see your dear friend again?"

"If you're going to treat her like you did last time, I'd rather not." The teen bowed his head in sadness.

"You don't want me to hurt her or the others, right?"

The boy hugged his legs. "Yes."

"Then, fine, I won't hurt them. In fact, I'll even give you back my little pet."

The boy raised his head and stared at his master in desbelief.

The man raised his index finger, silencing him before he could talk. "BUT, you'll have to do something for me."

The boy bowed his head again. "Anything, to keep them safe."

The dark one smirked again. "Excellent choice. I'll tell you what you have to do."

To Be Continued.......

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "How about it, DJ? Did you like it?"

DJ: "I LOVED IT!"

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "How about it, guys? Want DJ to stay with us?"

Everyone: "Do we ever!"

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "You're going to love it here, DJ! I'll give you a tour through the palace tomorrow. There are so many things you have to see."

DJ: "Fine with me."

Saiyan Moon Goddess: /to readerswaves goodbye/ "See ya next time!"

NEXT CHAPTER: -Chapter 8: The Prophecies-


	9. Chapter 8: The Prophecy of Darkness

Saiyan Moon Goddess: /putting clothes in a suitcase/ "We're almost ready to go! Everyone better be ready by the end of this chapter!" 

Everyone: /sarcasticly/ "Yes, sargent!"

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "I'm serious, guys!" /looks behind her shoulder/ "How are you doing there,  
Hiei?"

Hiei: /out of view/ "Fine."

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "DJ?"

DJ: "I'm ready. You people better hurry or we'll miss our plane!"

Saiyan Moon Goddess: /to readers/ "Hi, guys! DJ invited us to go on vacation. A trip to Las Vegas! So we'll be gone for a while, but I'll be leaving someone in charge! Enjoy the new chapter! By the end of it, we'll be on our way!"

/Lookalikes so far/

/From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)/  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess

/From Yu-Gi-Oh!/  
1. Nessuro - ???  
2. Neil - ???  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou  
4. Cerulean - ???  
5. Zukoi - ???  
6. Max - Pegasus  
7. Korosu - Bandit Keith  
8. Jono - Jou

/From Yu Yu Hakusho/  
1. Kage - Hiei  
2. Zorro - Kurama  
3. Akira - Botan  
4. Maki - Koenma  
5. Iwa - Kuwabara  
6. Jin - Jin  
7. Yuke - Yuseke

/telephatic talk/

"talk"

'thoughts'

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 8: The Prophecy of Darkness-

Marlene groaned and woke up, rubbing her face with one hand.

"I just did THE most pathetic thing of my life." she muttered. She looked at the nearest window. It was morning, and she was inside her room. She gasped when she remembered something.

"Yugi!" She quickly ran downstairs to the living room. There she found the others sitting on the couch, eating breakfast while staring at the tv in front of them.

"Guys?" she called.

They didn't move, except when they introduced their food into their mouths. She sighed and left to wash her face and brush her teeth.

In the tv, was Yugi image. He had woken up and was ordering his group of soldiers to continue their way.

8888888888

In the AU....

Kage walked up to Koneko, the only one still asleep and shook her gently.

"Koneko, wake up. We're leaving."

The blonde opened her eyes slowly and smiled at him. "Good morning, Kage." Yugi appeared behind Kage. Marlene tensed, but tried not to show it. She got up and rolled up her sleeping bag without a word.

"Hi, Koneko." Yugi greeted her.

"Yeah, hi." Koneko said flatly and walked past him not looking at him.

Yugi turned to look at her confused. 'She's so hard to understand.'

The warriors continued on their way, with Yugi and Kage on the front, and Koneko on the back again.

Koneko let out a soft sigh, looking down. 'Why do I feel his presence whenever I'm close to Yugi?' She mentally groaned and looked foward again, at Yugi. She saw Yugi turn to look at her. He let the others pass him and waited for Koneko to get closer. She did and stopped in front of him. The others continued without them, not noticing their absence.

"What is it, Yugi-sama?" she asked.

Yugi's eyes became cold. "Koneko." he whispered. But that wasn't Yugi's voice.

"W-What?" Koneko took a step back.

In a blink, Yugi unseathed his sword and slit her throat. Blood went out her throat and down her neck.  
There was a flash and Koneko gasped, stepping back, and her hand flew to her neck. Yugi disappeared from her view. Koneko felt her neck all over, but there was no cut, she was fine. She breathed hard and waited for her heart beats to calm down.

'It was just an illusion.' she thought.

Yugi and the others turned to her with worried looks. Koneko looked like she would fall any minute. Kage went to her and held her close.

"Koneko, what's wrong?" he said with a hint of panic in his voice.

Koneko breathed in and out. "It's nothing, really. I just felt some bad vibes around the area, that's all." She tried her best to smile.

Kage frowned at her. "You're walking with me." he said in a tone no one was to argue with. He pulled her to the front of the group and held her hand as they walked together beside Yugi, whose eyes turned to her every now and then.

'What was that all about?' Yugi thought.

/Yugi-sama./

Yugi held a gasp. /Who's there?/

/Don't be alarmed, master. It's just me./

/Black Magician Girl./ She was talking to him through telepathy. Yugi could sense her presence, but he couldn't tell where she was.

/Yes, I have to warn you. Remember the evil entity I talked to you about?/

/Yeah./

/He's watching you as we speak./

/WHAT?!/ 'What's the deal with everyone watching me lately?!'

/Stay calm. He can't hear our mental conversation. Remember he can't read your mind. He started watching you last night a few minutes before you fell asleep./

/What did you want to tell me?/

/Did you saw what happened to your blonde friend?/

Yugi glanced at Koneko. /Yes./

/That was his work. He's playing with her mind, creating illusions to scare her until she goes insane./

/Isn't there anything I can do for her?/

/I'm afraid not. The only way to stop it is by destroying the evil entity. He's too powerful./

/Who is the evil entity?/

/I do not know his name nor who he is. But he's very tricky. I'll tell you this: Don't let appearances fool you./

/I'll keep that in mind. Thank you./

/Remember to read the two prophecies. Be careful, Yugi-sama./

Yugi felt the Black Magician Girl's presence disappear.

'Maybe I should read at least one of the cards.' Yugi reached into his pocket and randomly picked one of the cards. Pulling it out, he kept it out of view from the others, and read it. He had picked the black card with silver letters. As he read The Prophecy of Darkness, he felt a chill running down is spine.

8888888888

In Yugi's universe, his friends still sat on the couch watching him through Marlene's tv.

"Marlene, we can't read what the card says." said Yami. "Could you do something about it?"

"Sure." Marlene waved her hands in front of her and they glowed. "I'll go directly into Yugi's point of view so we can see this so called 'Prophecy of Darkness'. Let's give it a close up."

The image on the tv changed. The black card appeared in full view on the screen.

A night in November,  
a newborn,  
who looked so tender,  
steps into the living,  
to bring foward,  
the black seed,  
and kill all.

Two people are the first he meets,  
the first to lay still at his feet.  
Others close enough will be next,  
a fate much worse.

Thus the world will disappear.  
And him,  
he'll be its shadow.  
And the dark one,  
will never stop.  
His thirst for blood,  
is his desire,  
for revenge.  
All hope for him,  
is lost.

(SMG: "Damn, I stink at writing prophecies. You probably guessed what it means already.")

Being a master in puzzles, Yami was able to solve the prophecy's meaning without much effort. He called Yugi through their link. /Aibou, do you know what that means?/

Marlene changed the tv's image. It went back to Yugi as he put the black card away.

/I think so, but tell me anyway./ Yugi responded.

/The Prophecy of Darkness says that a child was chosen to bring evil to the world. The people you first meet when you are born are your parents. He killed them. People close to you after your family are your friends. And what fate do you consider was worse than death back in Egypt?/

/Slavery./

/Exactly. This boy is supposed to take over the world you are in and kill for revenge./

/Revenge for what?/

/That, I don't know./

/Thanks for the help, Yami. I'll talk to you later./

8888888888

In the AU...

Unable to resist his curiosity, Yugi pulled out the white card with golden letters. But before he could read it, a strong gust of wind blew over the group, and the card almost slipped out of Yugi's hand.

"What's going on?!" he said while putting the card away.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Koneko said frowning. She looked up. "Look."

The others followed her example.

"What in the...?" Jono started. "Those things look like locusts from here."

"Those are definately not locusts." Yugi said. He frowned. He recognized those creatures. "It can't be!"

"What is it?" said Yuke.

"What are those things, Yugi?" said Kage.

"Duel monsters."

"What?" everyone said.

"I'll explain that later." Yugi could only see the monster on the front, leading the others. Its gaze turned to look directly at Yugi. "Huh?" Yugi stared back at it. This monster was almost all red and black: long powerful red wings, black spiky hair, black and brown clothes with a huge turtle neck, and red-lined pants, its face was red and brown as well, and it held red weapon.

"A Harpie card?" he asked. The others were even more confused than him. "Yes, it's Harpie's Brother!"

Harpie's Brother gave out a battle cry and flew toward the group at incredible speed, the other monsters followed him.

"What are they doing?" said Jin.

"They're going to attack!" said Kage.

Yugi suddenly felt Black Magician Girl's presence again.

/Yugi-sama!!/ She sounded worried.

/What now?!/ Yugi yelled back.

/The evil one is controling my friends! He going to use them against you!/

/You mean the ones who are trapped in the forest?/

/Yes, he's controling their spirits./

/Great, how are we going to stop them? We're sitting ducks here./

/Try to avoid them, but if you must fight them, then so be it./

Black Magician Girl's was presence was gone again. The monsters were getting closer.

Kage, Yuke, Jin, and Jono drew their swords. Yugi looked at them from over his shoulder, then back up at the monsters. He drew his katana.

'We have no choice.' Yugi thought, then said out loud, "Be careful, guys! These monsters are very powerful." The others nodded.

And the battle began.

To Be Continued.......

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Everyone finished packing?!"

Everyone: "Yes!"

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "You ready, DJ?"

DJ: "Uh huh."

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Hiei, please pass list. I want to know if everyone is here."

Hiei: /groans/ "Why do I have do it?"

SMG: /puppy eyes/ "Please?"

Hiei: /sighs/ "Alright, fine." /Picks up a list and reads it/ "DJ?"

DJ: "Here!"

Hiei: "Tenchi."

Tenchi: "Here!"

Hiei: "Ryoko."

Ryoko: /doesn't look up from seducing Tenchi/ "Yeah."

Hiei: "Ayeka."

Ayeka: /glares at Ryoko/ "Yes."

Hiei: "Mihoshi."

Mihoshi: "Here!"

Hiei: "Yugi."

Yugi: "I'm here!"

Hiei: "Ryou."

Ryou: "Here!"

Hiei: "Yami."

Yami: /watching TV sitting on a couch/ "Yeah."

Hiei: "Bakura."

Bakura: /reading a porn magazine, sitting next to Yami/ "Whatever."

Hiei: "Serenity."

Serenity: "Here!"

Hiei: "Yuseke."

Yuseke: /peeking at Bakura's magazine/ "Yeah?"

Hiei: "Idiot-I mean, Kuwabara."

Kuwabara: "Shrimp."

Hiei: "Vegeta."

Vegeta: "..."

Lady Vegeta4eva: /elbows Vegeta/ "You're suppose to say here."

Vegeta: /snorts/ "Here."

Hiei: "Lady V."

Lady Vegeta4eva: "Present!"

Hiei: "Marlene."

SMG: /gets closer to Hiei/ "You know me."

Hiei: "And I'm not going to call myself." /throws the list away/

SMG: "Okay, if everyone has their bags ready, we'll get going. KOS-MOS, Trunks, Cloud, Leon, Goku, Inuyasha, and Saber Marionettes. I'm counting on you to protect my palace and my other guests while I'm gone. If I find anything out of order, you know the punishment. I'll send new chapters to ya with my laptop, then you post them. Okay?"

Kagome: "You can count on it!"

Yuseke: "Can we get going now?"

DJ: "Let's go! Step outside!"

/Everyone leaves the palace. A limo and Seto Kaiba wait outside./

SMG: /holding Hiei's arm/ "Cool! We get to ride on first class!"

DJ: "Count on it."

/The group goes into the limo, and they leave./

SMG: "Think we'll catch the plane on time?"

DJ: "Don't worry. We will."

SMG: "This is going to be one hell of a vacation!"


	10. Chapter 9: First Attack

/Trunks walks to KOS-MOS, who's sitting in front of a giant screen and typing away in SMG's computer./ 

Trunks: "Any news from SMG?" /stops behind her/

KOS-MOS: "A message from Saiyan Moon Goddess just came in. It says SMG and her friends arrived safely in Las Vegas and are doing just fine. Also, SMG sent her latest AU chapter."

Trunks: "That's great! post it right away, KOS-MOS! I'll get the others!"

KOS-MOS: /types rapidly on the keyboard/ "Affirmative."

/Trunks leaves the room./

KOS-MOS: "Download complete. Comencing chapter posting."

/Lookalikes so far/

/From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)/  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess

/From Yu-Gi-Oh!/  
1. Nessuro - ???  
2. Neil - ???  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou  
4. Cerulean - ???  
5. Zukoi - ???  
6. Max - Pegasus  
7. Korosu - Bandit Keith  
8. Jono - Jou

/From Yu Yu Hakusho/  
1. Kage - Hiei  
2. Zorro - Kurama  
3. Akira - Botan  
4. Maki - Koenma  
5. Iwa - Kuwabara  
6. Jin - Jin  
7. Yuke - Yuseke

/telephatic talk/

"talk"

'thoughts'

SPECIAL THANKS TO DJ. I BELIEVE HE DESERVES AS MUCH CREDIT AS I DO FOR THIS FIC. AND HE GAVE ME IDEAS FOR THIS CHAPTER.

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 9: First Attack-

"Stay together!" Yugi yelled.

A Darkfire Soldier #1 flying next to Harpie's Brother sent a blast of fire at the group. They all quickly jumped out of the way, Kage pulling Koneko with him, but ended up landing far away from each other in the process. Then the monsters starting attacking all at once. Harpie's Brother stood by and watched as Yugi fought at least three monsters.

Rude Kaiser, Swordstalker, and Sword Hunter attacked Yugi. He dodged their blades with difficulty.

'Damn!' he thought. 'Why do I always get the big ones?!' He used every skill he learned from Marlene during their training. From magic spells, to sword slashing, to hand-to-hand combat.

A group of six attacked Koneko and Kage. Koneko kept the Fire Princess, the Flame Champion, and the Dark Witch occupied and seemed to be holding on quite well. Kage, on the other hand, was fighting Princess Of Tsurugi, Darkfire Soldier, and Battle Ox. Some of the weaker monsters attacked Jono, Jin, and Yuke. When the three warriors defeated the monsters, they went to aid Yugi, but a Steel Ogre Grotto #2, a Spikebot, and a Skull Knight got in their way.

Koneko ran away from Fire Princess' flames and dodged quickly when Flame Champion swung her sword at her. The Dark Witch swooped down to her, her spear ready. Koneko moved out of the way, so her attack missed. Not giving the witch the chance to rise again, the blonde girl did a flying kick and got her right on the jaw. The Dark witch crashed into a tree and stayed there. One down.

Flame Champion charged at her, Fire Princess spread her flames. Koneko couldn't get neat the Fire Princess without getting cooked, and with Flame Champion's shield and armor, she couldn't hurt her either. From the front at least, not.

'I better do something before they fry me!' Koneko ran toward the Flame Champion. When the monster swung her sword, Koneko dodged, jumping as high as she could over her. Landing behind the flaming warrior, Koneko charged and hit her hard on the back of her neck. Flame Champion was knocked out, and fell down. Koneko looked up at Fire Princess, who kept her fire spread so she wouldn't get close and shot some fire blasts at her.

"Damn it!" Koneko yelled as she barely dodged all the blasts. Her clothes got burned a bit in the process. 'How can I get her like this?!' She then looked down at Flame Champion, her entire armor, shield, and sword were covered in fire. 'This is going to hurt, but I have to.' Koneko grabbed the sword, and the fire immediately started burning her hand. Koneko gritted her teeth and threw the sword at Fire Princess with all her strength. Fire Princess tried shooting fire at it, but it didn't work. It was a flame sword after all.

In his dark room, without the company of his servant anymore, the dark one was watching the fight with his magic circles. He turned to the one showing Koneko, and smirked, then he took out a silver coin and flipped it. He tossed the coin into the circle.

Back to the fight, Fire Princess smirked and positioned her arms foward. Two indentical cylinders appeared in front of her, a question mark in each one. The Magic Cylinder. The flame sword fell into the one on the left, and disappeared.

Koneko was shocked, her eyes wide. "What...What kind of magic is this?" She waited for something to happen.

The right cylinder glowed and a powerful beam of energy shot out from it, heady for Koneko. And it was too fast for her dodge.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!" Koneko, burned and bruised, flew some feet away until she crashed into a tree. The tree fell from the force, and Koneko laid beside it, out cold and bleeding.

Meanwhile, Princess Of Tsurugi was throwing sharp crystal knives at Kage, who either dodged or batted them away with his katana. Almost at the same time he avoided fire blasts from Darkfire Soldier, and ax swings from Battle Ox. It was hard to take on all three monsters at once. He could only get rid of one at a time. He got his first oportunity when the Battle Ox swung his ax again and Kage dodged so it hit the ground, leaving a crater. In a blink, he slashed the monster in two. Battle Ox's pieces exploted into zillions of particles than soon disappeared in thin air.

Now Kage turned to Darkfire Soldier, who intensified the flames around himself. The blue-eyed warrior couldn't get close. He turned his head just in time and another crystal knife passed beside his ear, courtesy of Princess Tsurugi.

Suddenly, a thought came to him. 'This gives me an idea.' Holding his sword tightly, Kage took off, using incredible speed (though not as fast as the real Hiei) to run in circles around Darkfire Soldier. He made sure he ran in front of Princess Tsurugi, not to close. And his plan worked. Princess Tsurugi got frustrated as her crystal knives missed whenever she threw them at the speedy warrior. Kage stopped running and stood in front of her. He smirked and waved at her. She glared and threw her knives with more force and power. Kage disappeared from view. So the knives hit Darkfire Soldier. The monster's anger flared and started firing at her. With the monsters now firing at each other, they forgot about Kage for a second. The warrior ran toward Darkfire Soldier from the side, having too much honor to attack from the back. The monster turned to him, but it was too late. Kage cut its head off. Darkfire Soldier disintegrated. Now Kage was about to turn to Princess Tsurugi, when he heard a loud scream. He looked into another direction, just in time to see Koneko crashing into a tree and falling unconscious.

"KONEKO!" he yelled. He wanted to go to her, but Princess Tsurugi threw crystal knives at him again. He was forced to dodge again.

Back to the dark room, the evil one watched the circle that showed Kage fighting.

"This is getting a bit boring." he said. "Perhaps I'm giving them too much advantage?" He extended his right arm foward, aiming his fingers at the circle. A loud screeching sound wave passed through the air.

Back to the fight, Kage suddenly stopped running as a screeching sound wave reached into his mind. He clutched his head and screamed in pain, sweat forming on his face. His screams were cut short when three crystal knives buried themselves into his back, one on each shoulder, and two on each leg. He fell to his knees.

Yugi was doing good. He dodged every punch or slash from the warrior monsters. Right now, he was crashing weapons with Swordstalker and Sword Hunter. Rude Kaiser came to slash him from behind, but Yugi was too busy to notice.

/Yugi, behind you!/

Yugi's eyes widened and he jumped high out of the way. The attack missed and Rude Kaiser cut off Sword Hunter's left hand.

8888888888

In Yugi's universe, Yami and the others cheered. They were all rooting for Yugi. Yami was careful not to distract him with their mind link unless it was truly necessary. Like it happened just now. They yelled excitedly as they watched the boy fight with strength, speed, and skill. Marlene couldn't be prouder of her boyfriend, and student. She yelled along with the others.

"YEAH, YUGI!"

"GO YUGI!"

"GET THEM, YUGI!"

"HIT 'EM HARD!"

Even Bakura, Malik, and Seto were yelling. Some were even swinging their arms around.

Jou accidently knocked down a lamp and it broke.

"Oops." Marlene hit him upside the head. "OW!"

Good thing Yugi couldn't hear all the yells. Distraction could be fatal right now.

8888888888

In the alternate universe, Yugi landed behind Rude Kaiser and did rapid slashes with his katana. He was even faster than Kage. He cut the monster in at least twenty pieces that soon disappeared.

In his universe, some of his friends gasped while others smirked at the violence.

With only two opponents left, Yugi was ready. Once he got the hang of it, it was quite easy to fight the monsters. Besides, these things were so stupid they would probably kill themselves just to get their target. He decided to test that theory.

Swordstalker slashed at Yugi, Sword Hunter was behind him so he couldn't get away.

As the sword came down....Yugi got down and flipped between Swordstalker's legs! The monster's sword slashed Sword Hunter in two halves. Yugi for once in his life thanked Ra for his small size. He got up as Swordstalker turned to him. Now it was test of speed, as Yugi as Swordstalker attacked almost simultaneously. The small teen buried his katana in his chest, the monster's huge sword stopped a few inches from Yugi's head. And Yugi was actually glaring at him. He pulled his katana out and Swordstalker started falling onto him, but he disappeared before he did. Yugi sighed in relief, but he knew this was no time to relax. He had to help the others.

That's when he heard the scream. He recognized the voice and looked in the direction he heard it from.

"KONEKO!"

/Yugi, behind you again!/ He heard Yami in his head.

But Yugi wasn't fast enough this time. He turned around, and half way something crashed into him. The impact sent him flying. He fell. Harpie's Brother landed in front of him. Yugi sat up, rubbing his sore shoulder that recieved the most damage, and glared at the wind monster. He grabbed his katana, stood up, and got into a fighting position.

Fire Princess made the Magic Cilinders disappear and approached Koneko to finish her off. She extended her arm, charged a powerful fire ball, and fired it at her. Koneko's eyes suddenly snapped open and she jumped out of the way. The tree caught on fire. She landed on her feet beside Fire Princess and smirked at her.

"You really thought that was enough to knock me down?" she said. "Please, I recieved worst."

The evil one chuckled in his room, hearing everything she said. "Yes, from me." he said.

Even if she avoided the blast, Koneko knew she still couldn't hit Fire Princess with all her flames protecting her or she would be charcoal.

Kage was having troubles of his own. He started yelling in pain and frustration. His head, plus his whole body, hurted like hell.

"AAAAAHHHHH!! DAMN IT!" Summoning whatever was left of his strength, he used his energy to eject the knives from his back. Trying to ignore the pain in his mind, he ran at top speed toward Princess Tsurugi. She threw more crystal knives at him. His katana glowed white and he used it to bat them all away.

"Koneko!" he called and threw his katana foward. Princess Tsurugi thought it was going to hit her. But the weapon went pass her.

Koneko heard his call and turned to see a glowing katana speeding toward her. It was going to pass by her. But as it did, she grabbed its hilt. The katana's glow engulfed her body. She smiled and sent a mental thanks to the owner of the weapon. She turned to her opponent.

"Try to hit me now, fire nymph." she said.

Fire Princess smirked and complied. A fire blast was sent Koneko's way. But the fire hit an invisible barrier in front of her and Koneko was left unharmed.

"You think humans don't have powers too? Try this." Koneko raised the katana foward and it fired a white beam at her. Fire Princess was hit. The beam didn't hurt her, but the flames disappeared.

"It doesn't do much, but it allows me to do this!" Koneko lunged at Fire Princess and cut her to pieces with the katana. "That wasn't so hard."

Kage punched Princess Tsurugi hard in the face. But he wasn't done yet. The angry look on his face said so. He started doing karate moves on her. He punched, kicked, punched, kicked. So fast, Princess Tsurugi could only feel the blows, not see them. Finally she couldn't take any more and she fell unconscious. Kage breathed in and out to calm down. The pain in his head was gone.

Koneko ran to him, still holding the glowing katana. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." he said, taking his weapon back.

"Thanks for using your own energy on your katana. I wouldn't have gotten near Fire Princess without it."

Kage smiled at her. "Come one, let's help Yugi. He's in trouble." As they ran toward Yugi's current position, Yuke, Jin, and Jono joined them.

Yugi ducked and rolled to dodge another dive from Harpie's Brother, but this time, he moved faster and hit the monster with a blast of white magic. He was sent flying into another direction.

The evil one frowned in his room, all his circles joined into one as the group of warriors reunited.

"Looks like what I sent was a little too easy for them." He brought out two silver coins, and tossed them into the big circle.

Yugi and the others panted and wiped their sweat, all exhausted. Yugi looked better then the rest.

"Are we out of danger yet?" Koneko asked Yugi.

"No." Yugi looked up at the sky and around, and his grip on his katana tightened. "Something's coming."

Yugi turned as a black orb of dark energy appeared near them. The orb took form, turning into another monster. One that Yugi recognized as well as the others.

"That Lord of D.!" he said.

"Lord of what?" Jono said.

"In other words, Lord of Dragons!" Yugi replied.

Lord of D. raised his right arm and something appeared in his hand. The Flute Of Summoning Dragon. Yugi's eyes widened. "This is not good."

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In Yugi's universe, the Yami and the others also recognized the monster's move.

"This is bad, very bad." said Jou.

"If Lord of D. calls upon a whole army, can they take them all on?" Ryou asked his yami.

"Yugi can do it." said Marlene confidently. "You just watch."

"We believe in him." said Yami.

8888888888

In the alternate universe, Lord of D. started playing the flute.

"What is he doing?" Koneko whispered to Yugi.

"He's using that flute to call on all dragon types monsters."

"Are they many?" Kage asked.

"We're going to be outnumbered."

"What are we going to do, Yugi?" said Koneko.

"I...I don't know."

/Yugi-sama!/

/Dark Magician Girl! Am I glad to hear you!/

/Yugi-sama, there is a way! I just found out how the dark entity is controling my friends! It appears what you were fighting were merely a decieve of black magic. They're being controled by means of coins!

Yugi's raised one eyebrow. /Coins?/

/Yes, I managed to steal some from him. Don't ask me how. I'm sending them to you right now. You can use them to your advantage./

Just then, a small bag appeared on the ground next to Yugi. Yugi picked it up and opened in. Inside was a small stack of silver blank coins.

/Dark Magician Girl, these coins are all blank! How will I know which it which?/

/It's even better like this. I blanked them all. When you use a blank coin, you can use whatever monster or magic you wish./

/Okay, and thanks!/

Yugi picked up a coin. Once he touched it, the coin turned gold. "Sugoi!" He turned to Lord of D. Dragons already surrounded the area. The small warrior spotted some familiar faces, like Blue Eyes White Dragon, Red Eyes Black Dragon, Curse of Dragon, and more.

"Better act fast!" He stared at the coin, and somehow in his mind, he gained the knowledge of how to use it. He concentrated his power on the coin, and it glowed white. Then he tossed it into the air. The coin disappeared.

"What did you just do?" Koneko asked.

Yugi didn't answer. He stared at the sky as a white hole of light energy appeared in it and started growing.

'White Hole?' he thought. 'I summoned Black Hole!'

/I forgot to tell you. Black Hole it's one of the few things your heart is too pure to summon. But don't worry, White Hole works almost the same way./

"Everyone, hang on to something!" Yugi yelled.

As he said this, all the dragons, plus Lord of D., started getting sucked into the White Hole. Yugi, Koneko, and Kage held on to each other, and to a tree. Jono, Yuke, and Jin did the same with another tree. Once the monsters were all gone, the hole in the sky disappeared. Everything was quiet and nobody moved.

"Are we safe now?" said Koneko.

"For now, yes, we are." said Yugi.

With that said, the entire group moaned, then fell backwards to the ground all at the same time and gasped for air.

8888888888

In Yugi's dimension, Marlene and the others saw the whole thing and laughed at the last part.

In his room, the evil one glared and slammed his fist on his throne.

"Black Magician Girl." he growled. "I knew I should've gotten rid of that bitch when I had the chance."

He didn't hear the conversation between DMG and Yugi, but he had detected her presence when she talked telephaticly to him. He stood up from his throne.

"Well, no matter. She won't get in my way again. I'll make sure of that. I must kill Yugi before the Prophecy of Light becomes true. Even if I have to do it myself." His eyes glowed red.

To Be Continued.......

Trunks: "That's all SMG sent for us. We'll post the next chapter as soon as it gets here."

Kagome: "And SMG sends her apologies for making you readers wait for long. Writer's Block is not easy to get rid of."

Inuyasha: "Don't miss the next chapter or I'll use my Tetsusaiga on you!"


	11. Chapter 10: Into Enemy Territory

Trunks: "SMG is still not back from her trip, but she sent a new chapter for her fans! And she also sends a message saying she's using her most recent flames to cook dinner. They're quite useful." 

SPECIAL THANKS!!!: To DJ, he once again helped me through tough writer's block times. You're the best, DJ!

For name confusions...

Japanese version/American version

Yugi Motou/Yugi Motou

Ryou Bakura/Bakura Ryou

The Other Yugi/Yami

The Other Ryou/Yami Bakura (Bakura) (I haven't seen Ryou or his yami in the comics yet so I'm not sure about this one)

Seto Kaiba/Seto Kaiba

Anzu Mazaki/Tea Gardener

Katsuya Jounochi/Joseph Wheeler (Joey)

Hiroto Honda/Tristan Taylor

Mokuba Kaiba/Mokuba Kaiba

Malik Ishtar/Marik Ishtar (I think. This is the most confusing name for me!)

The Other Malik/Yami Malik (He wasn't created by the Millenium Rod, but by Malik himself)

Shizuka Jounochi/Serenity Wheeler

Sugoroku Motou/Salomon Motou (Yugi's Grandpa)

NOTE! If anyone has seen the entire Yugi manga, please tell me if I got anything wrong in my name list here. The story will be a mix of names.

/Lookalikes so far/

/From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)/  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess

/From Yu-Gi-Oh!/  
1. Nessuro - ???  
2. Neil - ???  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou  
4. Cerulean - ???  
5. Zukoi - ???  
6. Max - Pegasus  
7. Korosu - Bandit Keith  
8. Jono - Jou

/From Yu Yu Hakusho/  
1. Kage - Hiei  
2. Zorro - Kurama  
3. Akira - Botan  
4. Maki - Koenma  
5. Iwa - Kuwabara  
6. Jin - Jin  
7. Yuke - Yuseke

/Telephatic talk/

"talk"

'thoughts'

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 10: Into Enemy Territory-

Still sitting in his all-mighty throne of darkness, the evil entity was getting bored. He yawned.

"With the oracle's aid, Yugi will fulfill his porpuse in the Prophecy of Light, and quickly to boot." He smirked. "I think it's about time I make things harder for him."

He opened a small sack, where he kept his monster coins, and took out three silver coins. He tossed the coins one by one into the air. Landing in front of him, the coins formed into three monsters. He gave them orders through telepathy, then waved his hand dismissing them. They bowed and disappeared in three puffs of smocke.

The evil one turned to the boy sitting beside his throne. He had his head down, exhausted and, apparently, distracted. He frowned at this.

"DID I SAY YOU COULD SIT DOWN?!" he yelled.

The boy jumped a few feet, falling down again and cowering before his master.

The dark one grinned at this. He loved the smell of fear in the air.

"You know what to do, slave." he told the boy. "Go now."

"B-but..." the boy stammered.

"Are you questioning my orders again?" the master growled. His slaved shook his head slowly. "It's good to know. But just to make sure you don't fail..." He took out an ebony black coin from his sack and threw it at him, full force. The coin hit the boy's forehead and entered his skull. He yelled in pain and grabbed his head, falling to his knees.

The dark one stared at his groaning servant. "He took it well." he said to himself, and turned back to watching Yugi and his friends.

After the intense fight against the monsters, Yugi and the others decided to rest up a little. Yugi used his healing powers to take care of everyone's wounds.

"From this point on, it's only an hour to Kotao's castle." said Kage.

"Good, I can't wait to get out of here." said Jou.

Yugi sat, thinking to himself, until...

/Yugi-sama./

/What is it, Black Magician Girl?/ he answered her.

/Great battle you guys fought back there. You, Koneko, and Kage fight very well. Too bad your toughest challange is yet to come./

/Gee, thanks./ Yugi said a bit sarcastic.

/Is something wrong?/

/No, just tired from healing everyone. Sorry./

/That's okay, but I must warn you. I had the most terrible vision. The dark one is planning something to bring you down./

/Like what?/

/He's-AGH!/

/BLACK MAGICIAN GIRL?!/

Yugi tried again and again to call BMG back, yelling her name. But he couldn't even feel her presence anymore.

'What could've happened?' Just then, his worries were intterupted by a high pitch, distant, scream. His head snapped up and immediately he ran to the direction of the noise. The others followed.

Yugi ran as fast as he could, and left the others behind.

"He's fast for a little guy." said Jin as the group tried to catch up to Yugi, to avail. Soon, he was out of sight.

SMG: - "Nothing a little training from his girlfriend (in the story) can't do."

Once Yugi got through a part of the forest, he came to a clearing. There he saw two monster standing over a fallen girl. She looked pretty beat up and, apparently, the monsters weren't done yet. Yugi recognized them. They were the Patrician of Darkness and Lizard Soldier. The readhead, red-eyed, girl cowered before them.

"Oh, please, leave me alone." she pleaded with teary eyes. "I was just looking for food."

The monsters smirked at her. "Don't worry, little girl." said Lizard soldier. "We found food. And it right...HERE!" They moved to attack her again.

Yugi glared a them and stood between them and the girl. "Get away from her!"

The monsters looked down at him. "Where did you come from, tiny?" said Patrician of Darkness.

Oh, that hit a nerve. A vein popped on Yugi's forehead and his eyebrow twitched. If there was something that actually made him angry even before he became a fighter (excluding when bad people hurt his friends) was when people made fun of his height.

"What did you say?" he growled low. He felt his own power growing. So he calmed down before he lost control.

Patrician of Darkness and Lizard Soldier ignored the question though and stared at him hungrily (not the way sick perverted people think). They even drooled. They laughed at him. "It will be delightful to tear your bones apart!" said Lizard Soldier.

"I'll eat you piece by piece, the white meat first." said Patrician of Darkness.

The monsters lunged at the purple-eyed teen. The girl behind him screamed in fear. "I break your bones first." Yugi muttered. He unsheated his katana...and it was all over in a few seconds.

Neither Patrician of Darkness nor Lizard Soldier stood a chance against him. They both fell before his feet, groaning in pain from all the serious wounds he gave them.

"I'm giving you this last chance to leave." Yugi told them.

The two injured monters nodded, staring at him with both immense fear and respect. They stood up and ran away like hell was chasing them as fast as their wounds let them.

With the danger taken care of, Yugi sheated his katana and turned to the young girl. She looked a few years older than him. She had red hair curled up in the ends, big, emotional red eyes, and peach-colored skin. She wore old rags and was all dirty. To Yugi, she seemed familiar, in a way. But he couldn't think about it at the moment. His head was full of thoughts.

The boy offered the redhead a hand and helped her up. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes, thanks to you." she said sweetly, giving him a cheerful smile. "You're my hero." Next thing she did was completely unexpected by poor Yugi. She kissed him on the lips! Yugi froze for second, eyes wide. Soon he realized what she was doing and pushed her away a bit too roughly.

"What did you do that for?" he almost yelled. The girl looked like she was about to cry. He sweatdropped and quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, don't cry." he said. "You just took me by surprise. Please, don't do that again. I already have a girlfriend. She's the most beautiful and wonderful thing in my life."

"Awww." The girl pouted. "But I guess I'm not surprised. You're cute." Yugi blushed at that. "My name is Lily, and I'm eternally grateful to you."

Koneko and the four soldiers finally arrived at the clearing. "Yugi!" Koneko called but stopped when she saw who he was with.

Lily smiled and waved at them shyly. "Hi."

"Who is she?" Kage asked.

"Guys, this is Lily." Yugi introduced her. "I just saved her from a couple of monsters. Lily, these are my friends: Koneko, Kage, Jou, Jin, and Yuke."

Koneko stared suspiciously at Lily for a second, the scolded Yugi. "How could you just run off like that?" she said. "You left us behind and fought without us! Can't you be more careful? What if the monsters you fought against weren't weak? You could've gotten hurt!"

With all the words she said, she truly sounded like Marlene. And Yugi missed her a lot. He smiled sheepishly and laughed nervously. She worried about him.

"Sorry about that, Koneko. I promise I won't do it again."

"Yugi." Everyone turned to Lily. "Is there anything I can do to repay you for helping me?"

"Oh, there's no need for that." Yugi said.

"But I insist!" said Lily. "Where is your group heading to?"

"We're going to Kotao. Would you like to join us? It's a dangerous journey, but we can't leave you here. We'll drop you off at the nearest village, if that's okay with you."

"I'll be glad to go." said Lily. "And maybe I can be of some help too."

That smile of hers didn't convince Koneko or Kage. They knew something wasn't right about the redhead.

"Your help is not needed-" Koneko was interrupted by Lily.

"I think you'll find my help quite interesting. I've been to Kotao's castle before. I know the fastest way there."

"That sounds great, Lily." said Yugi.

She bowed respectfully. "I'm happy to help."

Yugi turned to the others. "What do you guys think?"

Jono, Jin, and Yuke nodded and said they had no problem with it. However, Koneko and Kage were hesistant about it. Lily seemed useful, but they still didn't feel good around her. They couldn't detect anything evil about her either. That was frustrating. Realizing that Yugi was staring at them oddly, the blonde and the soldier gave in and nodded to their small leader.

Now guided by the poor, but beautiful girl, the group continued on their way to the enemy city. Along the way, Yugi picked up some fruits from trees nearby. He offered Lily an apple.

"Here, when those monsters attacked you, I heard you saying you were looking for food." he said.

Lily took the apple smiling at him. "Thank you. It's true, I haven't eaten in days." She pressed the apple to her red lips.

Yugi stared at her. "You look quite well for someone who hasn't eaten in days."

"I'll say." Koneko muttered to herself. "Too well."

"Would you like to share this apple with me, Yugi-chan?" Lily said taking a bite out of the apple and offering it back to him.

"No, thanks."

"But, it so goooooood." By this time, Lily dropped the apple and latched herself onto his arm.

"Lily." Yugi hissed, blushing at the lack of distance between them. Lily leaned over and whispered some things to him on his ear. Yugi's blush turned crimson and his eyes went as wide as dinner plates. He tried to push her away, but she was like glued to him. He then tried to ignore her flirting.

'Think of Marlene. Think of Marlene. Think of Marlene....Marlene, help!'

8888888888

In Yugi's dimension, Marlene was fuming while staring at the TV. The others kept their distance, afraid of her. She looked bloodthirsty and really scary.

"Why that-!" she yelled. "Who does she think she is?!" A red aura surrounded her.

The boys, however, were making curious comments about all this. Though only Hiroto and Katsuya were cheering Yugi on. Katsuya was barking and yelling: "Go Yugi, you sly dog!" That only angered Marlene more.

"I knew you were dog." Seto told Katsuya.

"Shut up!" the blonde yelled.

Yami, Bakura, and Malik (the yamis) were the only ones staring at the tv calmly. Being conected to Yugi, Yami heard everything Lily whispered to his aibou. He managed to keep his cool, but his cheeks turned red. Still, he kept staring at the redhead.

'Now where have I seen that girl before?' he tought. 'Lily, even the name sounds familiar. I don't like this.'

Getting over her anger, Marlene just stared at the tv in suspicion. 'There's something amiss about that girl. I know it. Yugi's too trusting for his own good sometimes. Watch your back, Yugi.'

8888888888

Back in the AU...

"This is it?" Yugi asked. Before the group was a huge castle, or the back of it anyway. And surrounding it was a tall, thick rock wall.

"Yes." said Lily. "With the path we took, we surrounded Kotao's village already. All we have to do now is climb the wall and were inside. But be careful with security. The queen has many guards around the place."

"I got to hand it to you, Lily." said Yugi. "You really knew what you were doing. Now, can you do me a favor?"

"What could that be, cutie?" Koneko glared at that. She felt the redhead was getting too comfortable too soon.

"First, don't call me that." Yugi replied. Lily was starting to get on his nerves if she didn't already. "And let go of my arm. I can barely feel it."

"But for your cute looks, your arm feels surprisingly strong." Lily said seductively. She brushed her lips softly against his cheek, making him blush and shiver. "I can't let it go."

A vein popped in Koneko's forehead in frustration and impatience. She went over and roughly, also suprisingly calmly, separated Yugi and Lily.

"Cut it out." she told Lily in a low tone, though everyone heard her. "You're getting more than annoying and I think Yugi's got enough of your stupidity. You bother him again and I'll be on you like a wolf on fresh meat. You got that?"

Lily shrunk at Koneko's furious look. The blonde truly daunted her. So she backed off and nodded a silent yes. Koneko turned back to Yugi, who smiled at her gratefully. He motioned her to come closer. She did.

"You didn't have to be so rough." he whispered to her. "She has gone through a lot today."

"Are you sure about that?" Koneko whispered back, raising one eyebrow. Not waiting for a response, she walked pass him.

Yugi turned back to rest of the party. "Uh, let's get going, guys. Any idea on how to climb that wall?"

Kage looked up and the big massive wall. "There's no way to climb it by hand. It's too tall." He touched it. "And the rock material is too smooth. The only way to climb it would be making a human latter."

"I got another idea. Can you use your telekinesis and lift me up to the top so I can watch for any danger on the other side first?"

Kage nodded and concentrated. He used his mind powers to lift Yugi into mid air slowly. Once he reached the top of the rock wall, Yugi placed both hands on it and looked over it.

To Be Continued...

Trunks: "SMG sends a sorry note because she has a huge emergency. She has a lot to do this week. Her worries will lessen on wednesday, maybe. She hopes you enjoyed this chapter and please be patient. Next one will come."

Kagome: "And once again. Another thanks to DJ for his great ideas. SMG says she's also sorry for missing out your story, but she has to read a novel for a school exam on tuesday and a VERY IMPORTANT karate exam. If she doesn't pass it, she'll be very drepressed. See ya on the next chapter!"


	12. Chapter 11: Missing Prince Found

Trunks: "SMG sends us yet another chapter. She says she's having a great time and that Las Vegas is bigger than she imagined." 

/ALTERNATE DOUBLES/

/From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)/  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess (18 years old)

/From Yu-Gi-Oh!/  
1. Nessuro - ??? (18 years old)  
2. Neil - ??? (16 years old)  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou (19 years old)  
4. Prince Cerulean - Bakura (9 years old)  
5. Prince Zukoi/Hiroshi - Marik (20 years old)  
6. Prince Ryu - Malik (the yami) (10 years old)  
7. Max - Pegasus  
8. Korosu - Bandit Keith  
9. Jono - Jou  
10. Amaya - Anzu  
11. Queen Emi - Mai  
12. King Isamu - Ryou's Father

/From Yu Yu Hakusho/  
1. Kage - Hiei (18 years old)  
2. Zorro - Kurama  
3. Akira - Botan  
4. Maki - Koenma  
5. Iwa - Kuwabara  
6. Jin - Jin  
7. Yuke - Yuseke

/telephatic talk/

"talk"

'thoughts'

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 11: Missing Prince Found-

After Yugi was lifted up onto the wall, thanks to Kage's telekentic powers, he checks the other side of it. He sees a courtyard, beautiful flowers and foilage decorated the place, making it look grand. Seeing that no one is around, Yugi sits on the top of the wall and gives an OK signal to the others below.

"Guys," he whispers. "let's do it."

Everyone, except Lily (who didn't know what they were going to do), nodded and created a human ladder. Yuke stood on the bottom. Jin climmed on top of him, followed by Jono, Kage, Koneko, and Lily, who was the lightest. Yugi helped Lily over the wall, reaching out his hand and grabbing hers. She blushed.

"Oh, Yugi, you're such a gentleman." she said sweetly, forgetting all about Koneko's threats.

Yugi gave her a weird look. "Uh, thanks. Watch yourself." He kept hold of her hands as she prepared to jump to the other side. "It's a long way down."

Lily dropped to the ground, landing roughly. "OW!" She yelled a bit too loudly.

"Are you hurt, Lily?!" Yugi whispered, in case anyone heard her.

"Yes." she wailed. She started crying. "I hurt my ankle!"

Koneko rolled her eyes.

"Not so loud, Lily; they could hear us." Yugi shushed her. "I'll be right there as soon as I can."

After helping Koneko and Kage over the wall, Kage helped him with the ones left. Koneko landed on the ground safely and frowned at the frail girl sitting on the dirt.

"You're pathetic." Koneko told her.

Everyone made it okay into the garden. Yugi inspected Lily's injuries.

"It's nothing serious, Lily." he said soothingly. "It's just a scratch."

Lily smiled at him. "Thank you so much, Yugi. But I feel faint." She jumped into his arms to be carried bride-style. "I'd love it if you carried me."

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Meanwhile, in Yugi's Dimension...

A big explosion was heard in Marlene's house.

"Marlene, please, calm down!" Yami yelled, scared of the blonde. "That's probably the 20th thing you've blown up! You can hurt someone."

"Yeah, calm down, will ya?" said Jou.

Marlene sat alone in the couch since the others cowered away from her in fear of being the next things to blow up under her rampage. She glared bloody murder at the TV. Seeing Lily flirting so much with Yugi really ticked her off.

"I'll try." she muttered. Three or four veins popped on her forehead. 'That BITCH!'

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In the Alternate Universe...

Yugi panicked by Lily's actions and dropped her. She fell hard with loud yelp.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Lily!" he apologuized, helping her up. "You scared me it's all."

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In Yugi's dimension, Marlene's laughter could be heard. She felt better now.

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"That's okay, cutie." Lily seized his arm.

"What are you doing in here?"

Everyone turned to where the voice came from. They see a girl with shoulder-length black hair and dark green eyes. There was something familiar about her.

Yugi stared at the girl and almost forgot about Lily. 'It's Anzu!'

To say the least, with her warrior clothes and the cold look on her face, she could almost pass as a man. She held a sword before her in defense position. But the one who talked was the younger man behind her. Apparently, she was protecting him. Yugi and the other men took out their swords in case she attacked. Yugi paused a moment to take a good look at the young man. He wore elegant clothes with a silk cape. He had short spicky blonde hair and sky blue eyes.

Yugi's eyes widened. He didn't notice Lily's tight grip cutting the circulation on his arm.

'It's Marik!' (the hikari) he thought alarmed. Then he felt great pressure on his arm. Without looking, he finally found the courage to shove Lily off him. The redhead stood up straight and bowed at the Marik lookalike.

"Prince Zukoi." she said.

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In Yugi's Dimension...

"That's the prince?!" a collective yell was heard. Only Marik stayed quiet, staring at the screen.

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In the Alternate Universe...

Kage and Yugi lowered their weapons. Following their leader's example, the rest did the same. Kage leaned over and whispered in Yugi's ear.

"Let Koneko and I handle this, Yugi." Yugi nodded.

Koneko and Kage stepped foward. "Zukoi." Kage greeted him. "You haven't changed that much."

"Lower your weapon, Amaya." said the prince. The woman protecting him did as told but didn't let her guard down. Zukoi stepped closer and stood beside her. "Kage? You have grown taller. And do not call me Zukoi. No matter what my mother says, I hate that name. I changed it to Hiroshi(1)."

"That's understandable." Jono whispered to Yuke, who snickered in return.

"What are you all doing here?" said Hiroshi. "There are a faces here I do not recognize. There is no need to spy on my mother."

"We're not here to spy on you." said Koneko. "Sorry, Zu-I mean-Hiroshi. This is Yugi, from the Prophecy of Light, and our current leader." She gestured to the small warrior. Then she introduced the oters pointing at each one while saying their names. "This is Jono, Yuke, Jin, and you already know Kage. I'm Koneko." She "forgot" to mention Lily.

Hiroshi looked bewildered. "Koneko?! I heard you were dead!"

Said girl sweatdropped and sighed. "I know."

The bodyguard Amaya turned an emotionless look to the prince. "My lord, if Her Highness finds out about them-" she started, her voice deep.

"She will not." Hiroshi interrupted her, and turned back to the traspassers. "Listen, you are here for the child then, are you not?"

"You mean," Kage was surprised and relieved at the same time. "he's alive? Cerulean's alive?"

"Yes. He was almost dicapitated when they brought him here. But I convinced my mother otherwise and kept him from being tortured. I suggest you take him before mother changes her mind."

"Can you take us to him then?" Yugi asked.

Hiroshi nodded. He glanced at Amaya. "Amaya, make sure no one finds out about this." The girl nodded and left. He looked back at the others. "Follow me."

Hiroshi guided the group through the empty halls of the palace. It looked like Amaya did her job well in clearing them from all the guards.

"It has been years, right Kage? Koneko?" said Hiroshi. "It is good to see you again. And it is a pleasure to meet you, Yugi. You look...stragenly familiar."

"We'll tell you later." said Koneko.

"Also, how is Umi, Neil, and Nessuro?"

"Umi is fine." said Koneko. "Neil and Nessuro? That's a long story."

"I see." He glanced at Yugi, who Koneko was trying to protect from Lily.

When they approached the huge double doors that belonged to his quarters, laughter was heard from inside the room.

Hiroshi sighed. "I told them to keep it quiet in there. They never listen to me." He opened the doors, rushed everyone inside, and closed the doors.

In the room, Amaya stood near the door, waiting. She nodded at them and showed them the rest of the rooms. Two little kids played and laughed near the king-size bed while another woman warrior sat on a chair watching over them. She had long black hair tied in a low ponytail and brown eyes, and she was only a few inches taller than Yugi. (Yukina, Hiei's sister, from YYH)

"Ryu, Cerulean!" Hiroshi called. Both kids looked at him and stopped playing, but kept chuckling. Yugi held back a gasp. The kids were the alternate selves of...(can you guess?)...Bakura and Malik (the yami)! Of course, there were differences. Bakura's lookalike has blue hair and hazel eyes. Marik's lookalike had less spicky hair than Marik, but you can still tell between Hiroshi and him, he had blonde hair and dark blue eyes.

'This place gets weirder with each person I meet.' Yugi thought to himself.

(SMG: "In case you guys are wondering how Yugi can tell between Ryou and Bakura; and Marik and Malik in the AU, it's because of their hair's spickyness. Besides, you recognize Bakura and Malik the moment you see the mischievious' looks in their eyes. That's all!")

"Everyone, this is Yasu, Amaya's cousin." said Hiroshi. The woman on the chair stood up, smiled kindly, and bowed respectfullly.

"Welcome." she said, her voice calm and softer than Amaya's.

"Have they been trouble, again?" Hiroshi gave Yasu a knowing, simpathetic look.

She gave him a reassuring smile. "The same as always. They started with hide-and-seek, now they are chasing each other."

"Patient as always." said Hiroshi.

Ryu and Cerulean stared at the newcomers. Cerulean, the youngest one in the room, gave them a mischievous grin.

"Hi!" he said, picking on his ear.

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In Yugi's universe...

"Well, how...CUTE!" Marlene burst out laughing. Everyone, except Seto, Bakura, Marik, and Malik, was laughing so hard tears streamed down their cheeks. Bakura and Malik were staring at the TV screen in disbelief. Marik was thinking highly of himself ever since he saw he's a prince in an alternate universe.

Ryou stopped laughing when he noticed Marik's expression. He glanced at him worriedly.

"I hope this prince business doesn't go to his head." he muttered.

Too late. "HA! I'm in a position higher than the all-mighty pharaoh himself!" Marik yelled. Everyone stared at him with weird looks as he started boasting about himself.

"That's it." said Bakura. "Malik's influence has really gotten to him."

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In the Alternated Universe...

A woman with grayish blonde hair sat on her throne. She wore royal clothes with lots of jewelry that matched her green eyes, and a crown. Her face had a few wrinkles and make up trying to hide them. She tapped her finger impatiently.

"Where is that idiot?!" she yelled.

The guards on each side of her chair stayed stiff, looking ahead.

The doors to the throne room opened and a man rushed inside carrying a rolled piece of paper. He stopped in front of the long stairs leading up to the throne, shaking like a lobster.

"Your /pant/Highness. I have /pant/ information you /pant/ requested." he said between exhausted breaths.

"Speak." said the queen. "I do not have all night."

"Yes, my queen." said the messenger. "It seems that Taokao's king is going to attack any minute now. Something strange is happening in the forest ever since the sun started to set."

"What is it?" the queen asked. "Are there soldiers in there?"

"I'm not sure, Your Highness." The queen's face turned red in anger. The messenger panicked and spoke before she could order an execution on him. "But I do believe dark magic is involved in this, my queen. This goes way over our heads!"

"It will be your head if you don't find out what exactly is going on! Now get going!" the queen roared.

"Yes, Your Highness!" The man bowed and ran like death was behind him.

The queen's expression turned thoughtful. "This is strange, indeed. Taokao's king does not have any dark magic skills that I know of. Unless he hired someone 'special' to do things for him." She glared and snorted. "He will not surprise me! I will kill him first!" She turned to one of her guards standing beside her. "Where is my son?! He should be training to take my place!"

The guard didn't look at her in sigh in respect. "He was last seen going to the palace gardens, Your Highness. Should I find him and bring him here?"

"No." said the queen. "Zukoi is so lazy. He refuses to fight the enemy country. I will fix him straight once and for all!" The queen stood from her throne and walked down the stairs. The guards left their position and followed her. They left the throne room and headed to Prince Hiroshi's room.

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In Hiroshi's room...

Cerulean looked up at Kage. The young swordsman avoided the child's eyes, unable to face the kid. Suddenly, the mischievous look was gone in Cerulean's face. An honest smile remained.

"Kage." he called. "Look at me."

Kage looked down at him. "Yes, Your Highness."

"I know what you're thinking, Kage, and it wasn't your fault, okay?"

"But still-"

"No buts. Just one more thing."

"Yes?"

Cerulean frowned. "How many times must I tell you, don't call me Your Highness!"

Kage's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, Cerulean."

Cerulean's grin came back. "Too late! I'm gonna punish you for that! HA!" The kid jumped on Kage's back. The impact sent them both to the floor with Kage falling face-first. The two wrestled on the floor like brothers. Koneko chuckled under her breath in amusement.

"They get along better than I thought." she said.

Yugi smiled, amused as well. 'This could turn out to be a long night.'

That's when he heard footsteps approaching the room. His senses perked up and he turned to Kage and Cerulean.

"Hey, quiet. Someone's coming." Kage and Cerulean stopped fighting. They ended with Kage pinning Cerulean to the floor.

Amaya placed her ear on the doors and listened. Then she looked at Hiroshi. "My lord, it's the queen."

Hiroshi paled. "Oh no! If mother sees you all, all hell will break lose. And she thinks Cerulean is in the dungeons."

"This is not good." Yugi said.

"Yugi darling, please protect me!" Lily said as she finally got hold of him again.

Cerulean hid behind Kage, frightened. "The queen is scary." he whispered.

"I'll take your word for it, how can we get out of here?" said Jin.

"Zukoi, what are you doing?!" a voice called from the other side of the door.

'More familiar voices.' Yugi thought.

To Be Continued....

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(1) I decided I don't like Zukoi for a name anymore. It's hard for me to find good Japanese names. I can barely distinguish girl names from boy names since most girl names end in 'ko' and most male names end in 'ra'. Forgive me for any errors in Japanese names made if you know of them. Like when I gave Botan a boy's name. I noticed too late that Akira is only a boy name. But I got a small list of names and I'm getting better lately.

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Trunks: "SMG sends a message saying next chapter will come sooner than this one did. See ya in the next chapter!"

What's behind a Japanese Name?

Amaya: "night rain"

Hiroshi: "generous"

Yasu: "calm"

Akira: "intelligence, brightness"

Umi: "ocean"

Ryu: "dragon"

Koneko: "kitten"

Kage: "shadow"

Korosu: "kill"


	13. Chapter 12: The Contact

/ALTERNATE DOUBLES/

/From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)/  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess (18 years old)

/From Yu-Gi-Oh!/  
1. Nessuro - ??? (18 years old)  
2. Neil - ??? (16 years old)  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou (19 years old)  
4. Prince Cerulean - Bakura (9 years old)  
5. Prince Zukoi/Hiroshi - Marik (20 years old)  
6. Prince Ryu - Malik (the yami) (10 years old)  
7. Max - Pegasus  
8. Korosu - Bandit Keith  
9. Jono - Jou  
10. Amaya - Anzu  
11. Queen Emi - Mai  
12. King Isamu - Ryou's Father

/From Yu Yu Hakusho/  
1. Kage - Hiei (18 years old)  
2. Zorro - Kurama  
3. Akira - Botan  
4. Maki - Koenma  
5. Iwa - Kuwabara  
6. Jin - Jin  
7. Yuke - Yuseke  
8. Yasu - Yukina

/telephatic talk/

"talk"

'thoughts'

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 12: The Contact-

"Zukoi!" Queen Emi yelled, outside the room. Loud banging was heard. "What are you doing?!"

"What are we going to do?" said the frightened Lily with big eyes.

Hiroshi looked over his shoulder at the two bodyguards. "Amaya, Yasu, the bed, quickly!"

The women nodded at his command. They ran to the bed and together they pushed it until they uncovered a small door under it. Yasu opened it to reveal a passage.

"Everyone go down there and stay there." Hiroshi commanded. "It will take you to a hidden hallway that leads outside. Take Cerulean with you." He looked at Yasu. "Yasu, I trust you will guide them until they are safely out of here."

"Yes, my lord." Yasu replied.

"Everybody, get in!" Yugi ordered.

"Bye, Cerulean." said Ryu. "Come to play with me again, sometime." Cerulean gave him a grin and a thumbs up. The chibi prince ran down the stairs first. Lily followed him. Then Jin, Yuke, and Jono followed. Koneko and Kage went down together.

"Go on, Yugi-sama." Yasu said. "I'll follow."

Yugi looked at Hiroshi and Ryu. "Thanks for everything."

Hiroshi frowned jokefully. "No time for gratitutes, you have to leave."

"Zukoi, open this door!" the queen yelled through the door again. "Are you not decent?"

"Coming, mother!" Hiroshi yelled back, not looking back. "Now Yugi!"

Yugi ran down the path. Yasu went after him and closed the door over her. Amaya pushed the bed over the passage and walked to the double doors. Hiroshi held Ryu in front of himself by the boy's shoulders as the bodyguard opened the doors. She bowed to Queen Emi. The queen walked in with her royal guards, who held her dress' long tail and her cape.

"Zukoi, I have been looking everywhere for you!" Emi scolded. "Why are you not training?"

"But mother, I have been training all day." Hiroshi frowned at his mother.

"Did you train your brother?"

"Uh, I..." Hiroshi felt trapped this time. Ryu had spent the day playing with Cerulean. As he tried to make up something, a loud explosion was heard and the ground shook violently. Hiroshi fell holding little Ryu in his arms, as did the queen with a shriek. Amaya and the queen's guards protected their respective masters from any falling debris.

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Meanwhile, Yugi and the others walked through a small, dark hallway, surrounded by brick walls on the sides. Yasu held a lit torch and led the group. Lily stayed close to Yugi, Cerulean and Koneko stayed close to Kage.

"My lord's ancestors had this hidden passage constructed for any emergencies, like invations." said Yasu. "But while peace reigned here, descendants quickly forgot about it. Hiroshi-sama rediscovered it. Not even the queen knows about this."

"Say, Yugi." Kage called, holding Cerulean's hand. "What do you suggest we do once we get out of here?"

Before Yugi could answer, a loud explotion was heard and the ground shook violently. Everyone yelled in surprise and Yasu accidently dropped her torch.

"What's happening?!" yelled Lily.

Yugi's senses kicked in again. A quick sharp pain passed through his head. He winced, but it was gone as soon as it came. 'Shadow magic?!' he thought alarmed.

"Watch out! The ceiling is collapsing!" Kage yelled. The ceiling cracked and pieces fell.

"Run!" Yugi yelled. Kage pick up little Cerulean and grabbed Koneko's hand. Yugi took Lily's hand and everyone continued running down the hallway. The earthquake made it difficult for them to keep balance.

"The exit is not to far from this point!" Yasu yelled. "Hurry!"

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Prince Hiroshi, Prince Ryu, Queen Emi, Amaya, and the royal guards made it to the throne room in one piece. Just then, the same messenger the queen had sent out before came back into the palace. He looked more pale and scared than ever.

"My queen!" he yelled. "Terrible news! We're under attack! The village and the palace are in grave danger!"

"That scoundrel!" the queen said angrily. "I knew it! He sent his soldiers to take us by surprise!" Hiroshi kept hold of his little brother and stayed silent while she spoke.

"But Your Highness!" the messenger continued. "This goes far from what we once believed! These are not soldiers who attack us! They're monsters!"

"Monsters, you say?" said the incredulous queen. "What is this about?"

"I don't know, Your Highness. But the commoners and your own soldiers are attacking as well."

At this, the queen glared murder at him. "YOU LIE!"

"No, I'm not!" the messenger cried. "I could never lie, Your Highness. See for youself!"

As he said this, the doors to the throne room were torn down.

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"There it is!" Yasu said. The group finally reached the end of the hallway. Yasu led them through the door and they were now outside the palace. A shocking scene welcomed them all. They all gasp at what they saw.

The skies were dark, indicading the sun had set and it was night. But there was also a black cloud in the sky, which moved at a fast rate toward the palace. Loud noises, from screams to explosions, were heard. And not just that. The village of Kotao was in flames. All the houses burned under intense fire. Monsters patroled around the houses, destroying everything. The villagers screamed in terror of the horrendous beasts. They were all Duel Monsters like in Yugi's universe.

"What is this?" Yasu whispered. Her once calmness turned to disbelief and she was frightened. Never before had she seen anything like this.

"Monsters." Lily whimpered behind Yugi. "Like the ones that attacked me."

"The palace!" Yasu cried. "I vowed to protect the princes from any harm! Prince Hiroshi, Prince Ryu!" She turned to the others. "I'm sorry. I must go and aid my lords!"

"Wait, Yasu!" Yugi stopped. "Here! Take these with you!" He took out a few coins, which turned gold at his touch, from his small bag and threw them into the air. The coins transformed into Beta, Alpha, and Gamma, The Magnet Warriors. Yasu gasped at this and took a defensive stance. "Don't worry, Yasu! They're on our side! Take them along and they will help you." Taking Yugi's word for it, the brunete nodded and dashed off back to the palace's main entrance. The monsters followed her.

"Yugi, what now?" Kage said as he set down Cerulean.

"We have to help Hiroshi and Ryu." said Yugi. "They could be in danger."

"I want to help too!" Cerulean cried.

"No, Cerulean!" said Kage. "I can't endanger your life."

"But..."

"Kage is right, Cerulean." said Yugi. He turned to Jono, Jin, and Yuke. "I want you guys to take Cerulean back to Taokao, now!"

"But Yugi, won't you need our help?" Jono said.

"We can manage. Take care of Cerulean and if you see any monsters, stay away from them. Use this monster to get there faster." Yugi tossed a gold coin into the air. This one materialized into a Spear Dragon. Yugi then turned to Lily. "You should go with them, Lily."

Lily shook her head quickly. She stared with wide eyes. "I'm leaving your side! Ever!" Yugi sighed in defeat. There was no convincing her.

Yugi now looked at the little prince, who had tears running down his cheeks. "Don't worry. We'll save Hiroshi and Ryu. You go back to Umi, he's waiting for you."

Cerulean looked down. "Okay." Jono grabbed the kid's hand and helped him onto the dragon's back. Jono, Jin, and Yuke climbed onto the dragon. The beast flew off into the sky. Yugi was left alone with Koneko, Kage, and Lily.

The small warrior turned to his remaining allies. "Let's go back inside." They nodded at him and followed him as he ran toward the palace entrance.

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The evil entity sat still in his throne and continued to watch every one of Yugi's moves. He stared in silence, until a knock broke his thoughts. He didn't spare a glance at room's door.

"Enter." he said. The door opened and his servant walked in. The young boy was also silent. No longer did he shake at his master's presence. He walked calmly, with a blank, lifeless stare. "Did she tell you anything?" he asked the slave.

"Yes, master." the boy said. "Your methods worked perfectly."

"I expected no less." The evil one smirked. "Tell me everything."

"Also, master, there is someone here who wants to speak with you."

"I know." The dark one stood up and turned to his slave. "It's time to spread some terror...and death."

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Yugi, Koneko, Kage, and Lily ran into the throne room. There were monsters everywhere. They saw Hiroshi and Amaya fighting side by side with swords, protecting Ryu. Yasu and The Magnet Warriors were fighting too, protecting Queen Emi. The queen hid behind her throne.

"I can not believe this." she said. She felt scared and helpless. "Ambushed, by these monsters sent by that scoundrel." She glared. "Well, no matter. If I go down, I'll take him with me. It's inevitable now. He may have some kind of contact with the black arts. But I do too. And I already sent the message to him. Taokao should be under attack as I speak."

"Hiroshi, Amaya, Yasu!" Yugi called. The trio ran to the blonde prince and his bodyguard.

"Yugi, what are you doing here?!" Hiroshi yelled as he blocked an attack and slashed a monster. "I told you leave!"

Yugi ignored him and helped him fight off the monsters. Koneko and Kage helped too. Lily ran to were Ryu was hidding. But the more monsters they destroyed, the more they came in. And to the group's shock, people from the village and soldiers from the army came in too, carrying weapons, torches, and sharp farm equipment.

"What are all this people doing here?" Koneko said.

"The commoners and our soldiers have turned against us for some reason!" said Hiroshi. "My mother said there is black magic involved! We've tried to take on them without harming them, but we're outnumbered a thousand to one!" The party fought against the commoners, soldiers, and the monsters. With so many at a time, they were being drawn into a corner, trapped like mice.

"There's too many of them!" Yasu yelled. Yugi suddenly looked up at the few monsters that flew above their heads. But one of them caught his eye. The Change of Heart. It was flying over the villagers and soldiers, spreading its magic over them.

'That explains a few things.' he thought. A bloodcurdling scream pierced the air. Yugi and the others turned to where it came from. Before Queen Emi stood a Summoned Skull.

"Mother!" Hiroshi cried. He, Amaya, and Yasu ran to help her, but the villagers stepped in their way. They tried to fight them off without killing them. That slowed them down. They were too late. The dark monster dug its claws into the queen's chest and they came out through her back.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" Hiroshi's scream was heard all over the palace. Ryu started crying hard and immediately ran to his mother's side.

"MUMMY!!!" Hiroshi grabbed him before he get any closer. The little one struggled, but his brother held him tightly. He held the crying Ryu as he too cried.

Queen Emi fell to the floor dead. The heroes stared in disbelief. Surprisingly, all fighting stopped. All the villagers, soldiers, and the monsters ceased attacking. Apparently, the queen's death triggered something.

The Summoned Skull glanced at its bloody claws. "It is done." it said in a creepy icy voice. The monster vanished, as did the others. Yugi and the others were confused by this. So the monsters had come to kill the queen and leave? Just like that? No, that didn't seem to be the case.

Black holes started appearing on the floor under each group of people in the throne room. The villagers and soldiers, which stood like zombies, did nothing as the holes released a dark light that surrounded them. They vanished in less than a second. The dark holes continued materializing on the floor. Soon, all the people were gone.

"Amaya, Yasu, Hiroshi, Ryu, stay away from those holes!" Yugi yelled at them. But he was too late. A black hole appeared under Amaya and Yasu. They screamed before they disappeared. Another hole appeared under Hiroshi and Ryu, who still held on to each other.

"Yugi, leave now! You are our only hope!" Hiroshi yelled before he and his brother disappeared as well.

A hole appeared under Koneko and Kage and Koneko gave out a frightened yell. Kage saw this and used all his speed and strength to push her and himself out of the hole before it swallowed them.

"Lily!" Yugi called and ran toward the redhead. Lily shook in fear from her corner. When a hole appeared under his feet he froze in his tracks and looked down. Would he disappear as well?

"YUGI!" Koneko and Kage cried.

8888888888

In Yugi's universe...

"YUGI!" all of Yugi's friends yelled too.

"No..." Marlene whispered. "Yugi, please pull through."

8888888888

In the AU...

Black light from the hole surrounded Yugi. Then the hole vanished, Yugi did not.

"I'm still here!" Yugi said shocked. Touching himself as if to see if he was real. When all doubts were gone, he took Lily's hand and they ran to the exit. They joined up with Koneko and Kage. The throne room was now empty.

"Now what, Yugi?" Lily said. "Everyone's gone. What can we do?"

Yugi took a determined look. "The only we can do for now." he replied. "Return to Taokao. Come on!" The group ran outside. All the monsters were gone. The village still burned, but other than that, it was deserted. Everything was quiet, too quiet. The black moonless skies were calm.

Yugi took out a coin from his little bag. "This will take us faster." He tossed it into the air. A Curse of Dragon appeared. Yugi helped Lily on the dragon's back, and Kage helped Koneko. Then they both jumped on. The Curse of Dragon flew over the forest, leaving Kotao. Destination: Taokao.

As the heroes reached Taokao and flew over it, a scene similar to Tokao greeted them.

"Oh no." Yugi said. "What's happening?" Taokao's village was on fire. Monsters were everywhere, and the palace was under attack.

"Umi, Cerulean." Koneko whispered.

"Otousan." Kage muttered. He glared and his grip tightened around Koneko's waist. She winced, but stayed silent.

Lily sat behind Yugi with her arms around his waist. Her grip tightened too a bit. She leaned to his cheek and whispered on his ear. "Yugi, it's too late to save this world. Don't you see? The war has already consumed two powerful kingdoms. Nothing can stop it now. The Apocalypse of our universe began tonight. It'll all end soon."

Yugi shook his head. He refused to give up. The tri-colored warrior glanced over his shoulder at the redhead. "What are you saying? I can't give up. I thought I was brought to this alternate universe on accident, but now I know I was wrong. I can't go back to my universe until I save this one." Koneko and Kage looked surprise at him. 'Yugi is from another world?' they both thought. Yugi turned to his monster. "Curse of Dragon, land-Huh?" He stopped his sentence. Something caught his eye when glanced at the palace.

"What is it, Yugi?" Lily asked.

"There, on the roof!" Koneko and Kage leaned to the side to see what Yugi was refering to. A small group of monsters had someone trapped on the roof's edge. Kage's eyes widened.

"It's the king!" he yelled. "Yugi, we got to help him!"

"Right! Curse of Dragon, land on the roof!" The monster complied. And once it landed, the monster disappeared. Lily stayed where the monster used to be. Yugi, Koneko, and Kage ran to the edge of the roof.

The king of Taokao stood his ground and glared at the monsters in front of him. One false step and he would surely fall off the roof, the fall would be enough to kill him the instant he touched the ground. "I don not care if you kill me, you horrible beasts! My son will follow my footsteps and destroy you all! Besides, I know I will not die in vain. I shall take that bitch of a queen down with me! I did not know she also had a Contact with the black arts, but I do too. As we speak, Tokao's palace must be up in flames."

"You are correct, Your Highness." a monster, who stood in the middle of the others, said. The shadows covered his face. "But once you die, this kingdom will fall just like the other one. For the queen's ignorance and yours, you sentenced yourselves and your people to your deaths." He smirked and pointed a staff at the king. He fired as blast of black magic that sent the king flying over the edge. The king screamed as he fell at least fifty feet onto the hard ground below, where the monsters where fighting against two men.

Zorro and Umi were fighting off some monsters below, outside the palace. A bloodcurdling scream made them look up. Their eyes widened as they saw the king falling from above.

"King Isamu!" Zorro yelled. And Umi cried. "Father!" They were unable to do anything but watch as Taokao's king's body landed hard on the stone ground. He was dead on impact.

Yugi, Koneko, and Kage stared at the monsters in horror at what they just did. The monster who knocked down the king turned to look at them, and his face was revealed. Yugi gasped. It was the Black Magician!

"Black Magician?" he said. "Why?"

"The king..." Kage whispered in disbelief.

"Our master's wishes are orders." said Black Magician.

"Who is your master?!" Yugi shouted.

"That he wants you find out yourself." replied the dark mage. "It'll help if you read The Prophecy of Light, which was originally directed to the master himself."

"What about Black Magician Girl? Something happened to her and I just know your master is behind all this!"

"The Oracle is our master's guest for the moment. She has revealed quite the interesting information. It will be enough to take you down with it."

"Why are you doing this?!" Yugi was almost screaming now. "Why cause the war?! Many people have been hurt by it! Others have disappeared! What does he want?!"

"Since the master allows me to say so little, I can only say this started for revenge." said Black Magician. "But he decided to...take it a few steps farther." His eyes turned lifeless and his face stayed blank for a few seconds. Then he smiled at Yugi again. "Master is calling. The monsters won't leave this place just yet. The master is enjoying every minute of this. I'm sure we'll meet again, Yugi Mouto." The monster disappeared.

"Yugi!" The group turned to see Prince Umi and Zorro running to them. Umi was the one that called. The prince stood in front of the small warrior, his eyes and cheeks wet from crying from the death of his father.

"Yugi, my father was just killed!" he said. "And everyone else vanished. Only Zorro and I are left!"

"Prince Umi, did Cerulean come back yet?" Yugi asked him.

"What?" Umi said confused, yet overjoyed. "My brother is alive? Thank goodness!"

"Wait, Umi, you mean he's not here?" Yugi looked worried. "I sent him here with Jin, Jono, and Yuke. Didn't he come back?"

Umi shook his head. Now he's the one who looked worried. "No, my little brother never came back."

"No..." Yugi whispered. "He must've vanished...like the others."

8888888888

The evil entity chuckled as he watched his circles. He saw everything that happened in Kotao and Taokao, and he laughed at the most horrific scenes.

"This is perfect." he said. "This is even better than any homemovie."

The Black Magician appeared beside him. "Master, all things are going as you planned."

"I can see that." The bad guy took out a silver coin. "I'll move on to the next two fases and see how Yugi fairs with it." He tossed the coin into his viewing circle. Then the image on it started changing. "I'd like to see how well he can fight in this world, while back on his, something terrible happens to the one he loves most." At his words, the circle showed the image of Marlene and Yugi's friends watching the tv. The image made a close up to Marlene's face. "Beautiful, same wild beauty as Koneko." He walked up to his circle and touched Marlene's face. He consentrated and transfered his black energy into it.

8888888888

In Yugi's Universe...

Marlene, Yami, and the rest watched the tv. They all gripped their seats anxiously at every scene played before them. Nothing failed to surprise them ever since the attack on Kotao. Marlene watched in silence with unblinking eyes. Yami looked concerned at her.

"Are you alright, Marlene?" he asked her. She snapped out of her trance and shook her head. She muttered back saying she was fine. But a sudden sharp pain came to her head and she held back a gasp. She placed a hand to her forehead and excused herself from the group. She went to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She seemed to be fine, but the pain in her head kept growing, intenfying.

"Uhhhhh." she groaned and slowly fell to her knees. "What's wrong with me?"

/Oh, nothing's wrong, I assure you./ Marlene almost jumped. A cold voice just talked to her in her mind.

/Who are you?!/ she replied mentally.

/You don't need to know, not yet./ the voice said. /But I would like to get to know you better. I'd like to see the look on Yugi's face when he knows./

/Yugi?! She gasped. Her face sweated heavily. /If you harm him, I'll kill you!/

/Don't worry, girl. I might let you see him again...one last time./

The pain was now unbearable. Outside she screamed loud enough to be heard all over her house. But in her mind.../YUGI!!/

She blacked out.

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In the AU...

Yugi and the alternate people were still on the roof, surrounded by monsters. Everyone but Lily was ready to attack at any threat. However, the servants of darkness weren't moving. They only prevented the heroes from leaving. That is, until a black orb appeared a few meters in front of Koneko and took form, into another monster.

"Now what?" said Koneko. She felt frustrated after all that's happened so far. "What is that thing?"

Yugi glanced over his shoulder at her, then at the monster before her. "It a Wall Of Illusion! Don't get near it, Koneko!" he warned the blonde. When he looked back he had duck to dodge a monster's swing to chop his head off. All monsters had started attacking suddenly. So the warriors defended themselves. With all the distraction, Yugi momentarily forgot about the coins he had left. He did all in his power to protect Lily, who couldn't defend herself. No one noticed a certain monster flying over their heads, as well that Koneko still stood before Wall Of Illusion. The beast didn't attack her, as did the others. Wall Of Illusion and Koneko stared into each others eyes, and Koneko's turned lifeless for no apparent reason.

8888888888

In Koneko's POV, her surroundings changed. All was black, her friends disappeared, and she couldn't see anything.

"What?! What's going on?! Kage! Yugi!" She froze when she said Yugi's name. An unpleasant image came to her mind and she forced herself to forget about the little warrior. "Where am I?" It was quiet for a while.

"Koneko, did you miss me?" a voice whispered in her ear. A chill ran up her spine. Her eyes showed panic.

"NO!!" She ran foward, then turned and looked back at the young man who spoke. "It can't be you! Why are you here?!"

"Why, for you of course. The boys miss you, you know. Both of them. I do too." He walked to her as she backed away with each step he took.

"You stay away from me!" she yelled.

"Don't you remember the 'good' times?" the man continued talking. "I know you do. But just in case." He extended his hand to her. It glowed with black magic.

Horrible memories played inside Koneko's mind, before her own eyes. She screamed. "STOP! STOP IT!"

"I can't. Your screams are the ones I want to hear, along with Yugi's, which I expect to hear soon."

"NO! I HATE YOU!" Koneko's expression turned homicidal. Her grey eyes turned red. "I'LL KILL YOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!"

8888888888

Yugi destroyed another monster with his powers of light. As soon as the monster desintegrated, Yugi leaned over and gasped for air. All the fighting in Kotao, and now here in Taokao, had drained most of his energy. He might not have enough to fight his way out of the place.

/YUGI!/ Yami's voice screamed in his head. He winced, a headache already beginning.

/Yami, what's wrong? I'm kind of busy right now./ He blocked another attack.

/Yugi, something's wrong with Marlene!/

/MARLENE?!/ Yugi suddenly found enough strength to take out the monster like it was nothing. /What happened to Marlene?!/

/I'm not sure! She was acting strangely, then she went into the bathroom. A few minutes later, we heard her scream. We found her lying on the bathroom's floor, sweating and her eyes wide open and lifeless! It's terrible, Yugi! Her soul is missing!/

/WHAT?! BUT HOW-?!/

/YUGI, WATCH OUT!!/ Yami interrupted him.

/Huh?!/ Yugi looked behind him and something hit his face hard, knocking down some feet away to the edge of the roof. A shadow loomed over him. He groaned and looked up. He saw Koneko glaring at him with red eyes.

"Koneko?!" he said surprised. That's when he saw it. A Change of Heart flew over Koneko, spreading its magic over the blonde girl. And Wall Of Illusion stood behind her.

Koneko didn't give him time to stand up. She dove at him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and squeezed with all her strength. Yugi gasped for air and grabbed her hands, trying to break her hold.

"Ko...ne...ko...do...n't..."

Koneko glared harder at him. "DIE!!"

To Be Continued...

Trunks: "REVIEW! PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU WANNA SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO YUGI!"

What's behind a Japanese Name?

Amaya: "night rain"

Hiroshi: "generous"

Yasu: "calm"

Akira: "intelligence, brightness"

Umi: "ocean"

Ryu: "dragon"

Koneko: "kitten"

Kage: "shadow"

Korosu: "kill"

Emi: "blessed with beauty"

Isamu: "bravery"

Yugi: "game"

Yami: "darkness"


	14. Chapter 13: The Prophecy Of Light

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "HEY THERE! My Vegas Vacation is long over! Back to school!" -- ' 

/ALTERNATE DOUBLES/

/From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)/  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess (18 years old)

/From Yu-Gi-Oh!/  
1. Nessuro - ??? (18 years old)  
2. Neil - ??? (16 years old)  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou (19 years old)  
4. Prince Cerulean - Bakura (9 years old)  
5. Prince Zukoi/Hiroshi - Marik (20 years old)  
6. Prince Ryu - Malik (the yami) (10 years old)  
7. Max - Pegasus  
8. Korosu - Bandit Keith  
9. Jono - Jou  
10. Amaya - Anzu  
11. Queen Emi - Mai  
12. King Isamu - Ryou's Father

/From Yu Yu Hakusho/  
1. Kage - Hiei (18 years old)  
2. Zorro - Kurama  
3. Akira - Botan  
4. Maki - Koenma  
5. Iwa - Kuwabara  
6. Jin - Jin  
7. Yuke - Yuseke  
8. Yasu - Yukina

/telephatic talk/

"talk"

'thoughts'

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 13: The Prophecy Of Light-

Yugi's cheeks turned blue from the lack of air. Koneko kneeled over him, holding him by the neck on the roof's edge. She sure had a strong grip. She was crushing his windpipe. His lungs felt like exploding at any time. The others hadn't noticed his situation yet.

Kage kicked a monster and slashed it. Another came behind him and he stabbed it. He had killed all the monsters around him. Kage used that brief opportunity to see how his friends were doing. Prince Umi and Zorro fought side by side and seemed to be doing okay by themselves. Lily was hidding and the monsters didn't see her. He searched for Yugi and Koneko.

"Huh?" He saw Koneko strangling Yugi, with two monsters behind them. "Yugi! Koneko!" Kage ran to them. With his sword, he turned Wall of Illusion and Change of Heart to him. The two wouldn't let him near Yugi or Koneko, and left the blonde to kill the alternate universe's only hope. He wanted to help them, he could resist Wall of Illusion's...well, illusions, but if he got too close to Change of Heart, he would fall under its spell like Koneko. If Kage didn't move fast, Yugi was a goner. They were all in trouble.

Seeing what Kage was trying to do, Umi ordered Zorro to cover him. The prince ran to where Kage was, killing or avoiding any monster in his way. And as he came close, he yelled: "Kage, leave those two to me! You go help Yugi!"

Kage nodded and ran off to Koneko and Yugi. Wall of Illusion and Change of Heart followed, but Prince Umi blocked their paths and kept them away at a safe distance. Kage was clear. He tried to pull Koneko off Yugi, but she wouldn't let go. She only squeezed tighter. Yugi felt lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. His grip on her hands was going limp, his whole body felt numb, mainly his neck. He looked up into Koneko's hateful gaze. She didn't look like she would stop at any time. Yugi had no other choice.

'Please...' he thought, since he couldn't even gag anymore. 'forgive me...for this!'

Gathering whatever strength he had, Yugi lifted his numb legs to Koneko's stomach and kicked her off him, and Kage with her. They fell a few feet back with Koneko on top. The blue-eyed boy held the squirming and kicking girl by her waist to prevent her from getting up. Yugi coughed violently as his windpipe reopened and recovered from the sudden closeness, breathing in fresh air. His face returned to its normal color.

Kage and Koneko wrestled on the ground. Koneko kept trying to get up, but Kage wouldn't let her. So she attacked him. She succeeded in cutting and scratching him a bit with her fingernails. Kage restrained her arms and rolled over until he was on top, pinning her arms apart beside her head.

"Yugi, hurry!" Kage yelled.

Yugi looked up at the sound of Kage's voice, rubbing his neck and shaking the dizzyness out of his head. He glanced past Koneko and Kage fighting to Umi. The prince still fought with Wall of Illusion and Change of Heart. He was finding it difficult to kill them so he just held them back. He had to stay away or else he would fall under Change of Heart's spell. Attacking Wall of Illusion each time it tried to use it illusions prevented it from manipulating his mind as well. However, a third monster came behind the blue-haired prince, who was too busy to notice. Yugi attempted to warn him, but his throat hurt like hell. Still, he tried.

"Umi." Yugi said, his voice coming out low and hoarse. He cleared his throat and this time he yelled clearly. "Umi, look out!"

The warning came in vain; the monster grabbed Prince Umi from behind. Umi gasped and brought his sword's tip up, passing it through his long hair and stabbing the monster's head. The monster shrieked in pain and fell, but it fell on top of Umi. The prince was trapped under its weight. Umi struggled to get up, but the monster was too heavy. He could only glance up in helpless fear as Wall of Illusion and Change of Heart stood over him.

"Umi!" Yugi yelled. He ran to help him. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough. A black circle appeared on the ground under Umi and the dead monster. Darkness rose from it. Umi felt it enveloping him and he screamed.

Zorro turned at his lord's yell and saw he was in danger. "Your Highness!" The golden-eyed man ran to Umi's aid, but he was ambushed. Koneko and Kage were still fighting, and Yugi was too far away. Time went slowly for Yugi at this point, as the monster over Umi desintegrated, and Ryou's alternate double vanished. The black hole disappeared.

The monsters were too much for Zorro. The silver-haired bodyguard was outnumbered and tired from fighting. He was knocked out from behind and fell, his weapon beside him. Another black hole appeared under him and he vanished in its darkness, adding yet another to the long list of captured victims of the evil entity.

With time flowing normally again, Yugi stopped. "It's happening again." He fell to his knees and punched the ground with both fists in frustration. He kept losing his new friends to the bad guy without being able to do something about it. "Damn it! I can't let him win!"

"Yugi!" Kage's voice called from the distance.

Yugi raised his head and saw Kage and Koneko fighting on the floor, and Lily hidding on the other side of the roof, who was afraid of coming out.

"Yugi, quick, do something!" Kage yelled.

The tri-colored warrior looked around. The monsters were advancing on him and his friends, who were helpless at the moment. There were too many of them. He couldn't risk losing anyone else. He searched for a fast solution.

"What can I-oh, wait!" Yugi took out his small sack of coins and dug his hand into it. Feeling its interior, something caught his attention. "Huh?" The small warrior opened the sack wide. There were three coins inside. "What?! I only have three coins left!" He took out a coin. It glowed golden. Just then he looked up and saw Koneko breaking free from Kage and dashed toward Yugi. He acted quickly. He tossed the coin into the air. He called upon a magic type.

"RAIGEKI!" Lightning bolts fell from the sky. Each lightning hit a monster with thunderous power. Kage tackled Koneko as the blonde reached for Yugi and kept her away from the attacks. One by one, the monsters desintegrated, including Wall of Illusion and Change of Heart. When the destruction stopped, the lights and the electricity vanished, the sky was back to normal. Koneko's eyes also returned to their original color and she stopped struggling.

Koneko stared into Kage's eyes confused, like she had just woken up from a nightmare. "Kage, what are you doing?" She looked at his arms and legs pinning her down.

Kage's face turned bright red and he let her go, slowly. "Uh, I'll explain later." He stood up and offered her his hand. She took it.

Now that it seemed safe, Lily ran out of her hidding place to Yugi. "Yugi, you did it!" she yelled happily. She hugged him tightly. Koneko and Kage joined them.

Yugi pushed the redhead away from him gently. "Where are the others?" he asked.

"Everyone's gone." said Koneko.

"We're the only ones left, probably in the whole world." said Kage.

Lily got scared again and clung on to Yugi's arm. "And we're next! You see, Yugi-chan? There's no hope for this universe. You should go back to your world before it's too late." She stared at him with sincere eyes. "I couldn't bare it if anything happened to you!"

"That's why she was hidding in a corner." Koneko muttered, only Kage heard her.

"No, Lily." said Yugi. "I won't."

"Please, Yugi." Lily insisted. "You're no match for the evil entity. He'll crush you."

"You're crushing my arm!" Yugi protested. Lily was glued to him.

"Just shut up, already!" Koneko yelled at the redhead. There was something about that girl that truly annoyed the blonde.

"Yugi, I don't want to be negative," said Kage, "but, now that we're all alone in this universe, what can we do now?"

Yugi finally succeeded in pulling Lily off him. "There's only one thing we can do. We must find the entity."

"But we don't know where to start looking." said Lily as a matter of fact.

"Maybe, but at least we have a clue to his identity." said Yugi. He reached into his pocket and took out a white card with golden letters. "It's better than nothing." Koneko and Kage gasped at him in shock and recognition.

"The Prophecy of Light." Koneko breathed.

"You knew all along?" Kage said.

Yugi shook his head. "Not until Black Magician Girl, the one you know as the Oracle, contacted me and told me everything. But I also lost contact with her before we reached Kotao. I don't know what happened after that." His face turned sad.

Kage's expression was uncertain as he stepped foward. "Uh, Yugi? We also have a little confession to make, Koneko and I."

Now it was Koneko's turn to look sad. She backed away from the group. When it came down to what Kage was talking about, she couldn't find it in herself to help him with it. Yugi and Kage noticed and understood she wanted some time to think, so they let her and talked to themselves.

Kage took a deep breath. "Yugi, we know who the entity is."

Yugi was shocked. That only lasted a few seconds because next thing you know he exploded. "WHAT?!" He sure looked angry. His face was big and red, with a vein popping on his forehead. Even Kage backed down with a nervous look and a sweatdrop forming on the back of his head. "YOU KNEW?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME BEFORE?!" He calmed down a bit. "You could've save us a lot of trouble, you know."

Kage sighed in defeat. "I know. But you don't know him, Yugi. Even if saying his name helped, it would've helped too little. I have no idea of where he is. Besides if I'm not mistaken, you recognize some people from this universe by their appearances, because we are the alternate selves of the people you know in your universe."

"Yes." Yugi said, eager to know where this was going.

As Kage and Yugi talked with Lily watching, Koneko backed away into a small corner of the palace roof, beside a broken balcony with curtains flowing with the cold wind. She looked down sadly and wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. She suddenly shuddered.

"He's getting closer." she whispered. "I can feel it. And I still have problems being close to Yugi. I can hardly look at him straight in the face."

A dark figure appeared in the balcony. It stood behind Koneko and approached her quietly. The blonde noticed the shadow forming in front of her on the floor and gasped. She swerved to look at it.

"Don't be afraid Koneko." said a familiar male voice. "It's me."

Koneko was surprised to see a boy with a dummy mask and dressed in a black cloak with a hood over his head, about a few inches shorter than her. "Neil?" she said in disbelief.

"Yes." said Neil.

Koneko brightened and tears of joy threatened to spill. "You came back!" She ran to the shorter boy and hugged him. "You're alright!" She had to tell the others about this. But wait. This was also strange, wasn't it? What was he doing here in the first place? How did he get here? The blonde realized this and pulled back. "But why?"

Neil reached up to his face and removed his mask slowly. Koneko looked surprised again. His face had changed over the year. "It's been a while since you last saw this face, hasn't it?"

Koneko's eyebrow rose. Why was his voice so monotone? "You look different. Figures. It's been a year, right? That...look...you used to give me, it's gone. And..." She traced a scar on his cheek with wide eyes. "What has he done to you?"

Neil grabbed her hand in a soft grip, but it tightened slightly. Koneko looked confused at this. "It's not what he has done to me, Koneko-chan, but he will do to you, Yugi, and that other girl."

"What?" Koneko said. His voice sounded darker. She took a closer look at him. That's when Koneko noticed Neil's blank aqua green eyes. Fear crept up her spine. That could only mean one thing.

"KAGE! YUGI!" she screamed.

8888888888

While Koneko had her encounter with her old friend, Kage was finally about to reveal the truth to Yugi.

"So who is the entity?" Yugi asked.

"Read the Prophecy of Light, outloud." Kage replied.

Yugi raised the card in his hand to his face and read it.

/Prophecy of Light/

/As Night covers the entire sky and land

Darkness resides inside the soul of a young man

But, Morning shall rise anew each day

So a Hero shall come and make evil pay

Born is the Hero, gentle and kind

His real strength flowing from the soul and the mind

Slave to none, but servant to all

When a threat arises, he answers the call

A universe he traverses to end up in the dark

He is Hope to others, as bright as a spark

Darkness and Light shall meet in a terrible fight

'Tis when the Hero shows his true awesome might

He will be powerful, more so then ever seen before

For his Love and Friendship are pat of his core

You, who caused the ever-lasting pain and despair

The one who has the seed of evil in his very soul will never fare

Look into a mirror and tell me

Do you like what you see?

A mirror only reveals a dark waterfall

Yet your reflection will be your downfall./

(SMG: This poem was made by both DJ and me! Aplauses for DJ! /reviews clap loudy/)

Yugi's eyebrow rose curiously. "It makes sense, in a way. The last part..."

"It's talking about you." Kage interrupted him. "You're the one who came to save us, from the other side of this universe. You didn't fall in here by accident."

Yugi remembered when Marlene accidently sneezed her magic dust all over him. 'Sure looked like an accident to me.' "I get that. Now tell me, who is he?"

Kage sighed. "He is-"

"KAGE! YUGI!" Koneko's voice screamed from afar. Kage and Yugi's attention was drawn instantly.

"KONEKO!!" They both turned to where Koneko was and saw a hooded figure trying to get a hold on her. The blonde pushed him away and avoided his hands.

"Who is that?!" Yugi yelled.

"Koneko!!" Kage yelled. Yugi and Kage ran to Koneko. Lily followed them.

Koneko pushed Neil away again and backed away. But her feet touched the roof's edge and she lost her balance. The blonde started falling backwards. She gasped in fear and flung out her arms to grab for anything. A hand grabbed hers and pulled her back, enough for her body to collide with a body. And the monotonous voice of that person whispered on her ear.

"He wants you back."

"NO!!" Koneko yelled and pushed Neil away roughly.

"Koneko, Lily, get out of here!" Yugi yelled.

"But...!" Koneko protested. She may wanted to get as far from Neil as possible, but she didn't want to leave her friends in a time of need.

"Just go!" said Yugi. "We'll take care of him!"

Koneko hesitated at first, then nodded and ran into the broken balcony, wishing mentally that she wouldn't regret it. Lily gave Yugi a kiss on the cheek and followed her close behind. With the girls out of harm's way, Yugi and Kage prepared to face the hooded young man. Neil grabbed his mask from the floor as if they weren't there.

"You can't stop him, Kage." he said. He didn't spare them a glance. "Neither you or the saviour of light."

"Wait." said Yugi. "I recognize that voice. You're Neil!"

Neil's voice suddenly darkened. "It's been years." If he wasn't himself before, now he was an entire different person. "I'm surprised you still remember us." Neil turned to them. His face was still partly hidden by the hood. Still, Yugi could make out his blank aqua green eyes...and a few blonde spikes. Before he could make out anything else, the young man placed the mask back on his face. He then ran into the balcony so fast Kage and Yugi barely saw him.

"He's going after Koneko!" Kage said. He ran into the balcony with Yugi.

Koneko ran through the palace aimlessly. It was dark so she couldn't see exactly where she was going, and the place was destroyed on the inside with rubble everywhere. She couldn't find the exit. And she had also lost sight of Lily a few seconds ago. It was like running through a maze. Koneko stopped meandering and stood beside a closed window, gasping for breath for all the dashing she just did. No matter how faster she ran, she felt a cold wall getting closer and closer to her being, her very soul. She placed a hand over where her heart was, and felt the quick beats.

'Damn him.' she thought. 'He took everything from us. If only I had done something before this all started, I could've saved him. I'll never forgive myself.' She resisted the urge to cry and wiped the sweat off her face. Footsteps sounded nearby, walking over the debris. Koneko gasped softly and turned sharply to the side. Before she could react or see who it was, a pair of hands pushed her back with such great strength she fell backwards, through the open window, and breaking it.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Koneko fell from the antepenultimate floor of the palace.

To Be Continued...

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "This used to be one whole chapter. But it came out too long. So I separated it in two parts. That means the next chapter is ready. But unless I get reviews for this one I won't post it. REVIEW!!"


	15. Chapter 14: A Step Into The Darkest Dept...

Saiyan Moon Goddess: "Thank you for the reviews! I actually got reviews from mediaminer who I thought were dead! Here's the next chapter!" 

/ALTERNATE DOUBLES/

/From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)/  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess (18 years old)

/From Yu-Gi-Oh!/  
1. Nessuro - ??? (18 years old)  
2. Neil - ??? (16 years old)  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou (19 years old)  
4. Prince Cerulean - Bakura (9 years old)  
5. Prince Zukoi/Hiroshi - Marik (20 years old)  
6. Prince Ryu - Malik (the yami) (10 years old)  
7. Max - Pegasus  
8. Korosu - Bandit Keith  
9. Jono - Jou  
10. Amaya - Anzu  
11. Queen Emi - Mai  
12. King Isamu - Ryou's Father

/From Yu Yu Hakusho/  
1. Kage - Hiei (18 years old)  
2. Zorro - Kurama  
3. Akira - Botan  
4. Maki - Koenma  
5. Iwa - Kuwabara  
6. Jin - Jin  
7. Yuke - Yuseke  
8. Yasu - Yukina

/telephatic talk/

"talk"

'thoughts'

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 14: A Step Into The Darkest Depts-

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Koneko fell from the antepenultimate floor of the palace. Instead of falling to the hard ground, the trees broke her fall. Her back crashed into many branches, her head hit one of them and she was knocked out. At the bottom of a tree, Neil appeared out of thin air, and waited. Koneko fell into his awaiting arms. He then supported her back with one arm, slid the other one under her knees, and lifted her. With his prize in possession, Neil ran of into the forest.

8888888888

Yugi and Kage ran through the palace looking for Koneko and Lily. They had lost sight of Neil, and now they couldn't find the girls. They were worried that Neil had done something to them.

"Lily!" Yugi called.

"Koneko!" Kage called with him.

"Where are you?"

"Where are they, Yugi? Is Neil still here?"

"I can't feel the darkness of Neil's aura anymore." Yugi said. "He's not here!"

"Yugi! Kage!" a female voice screamed from afar.

The boys saw a histerical crying Lily running up to them. She hugged Yugi and cried on his shoulder. He hugged her back just to console her and pat her back.

"Oh, Yugi-chan!" she cried. "I'm so glad you're here! I'm scared!"

Yugi felt his blood pressure rising so he pulled away from Lily's death grip. "It's okay now, Lily. You're safe with us." He frowned. "Have you seen Koneko?"

"Oh, yes!" she said and cried harder. "It was horrible! That creepy hooded man took her, and he left a message before he left!"

"What is it?" Yugi asked.

Lily took Yugi and Kage to the broken window where Koneko fell through. She pointed at the ground before it. There was a message carved on it.

"Look." she said.

'FOLLOW MY SERVANT TO DARKEST DEPTS OF MY REALM, IF YOU DARE'

"He wants us to follow him?" Yugi said.

"We have no choice." Kage said. "He has made everyone from this universe his prisoners, and now Koneko. We must follow him!"

"Oh, please don't leave me here alone!" Lily pleaded to them. "Those monsters could come back!"

Yugi gave her a comforting embrance. "Don't worry, Lily. Come with us. I'll protect you."

Kage looked out the window. "Should we take the fast route?"

Yugi looked down at his sack. "I only have two coins left."

"Save them. I'll take us down."

Lily held on to Yugi as he and Kage jumped out the window. Kage used his telekenetic powers to make them descend safely to the bottom of the palace. Yugi then lead the way into the woods, following the dark trail of Neil's aura. They ran after it. As they went along, Yugi kept the other two informed.

"He's going slow." he said. "It's like he's waiting for us."

"He is." Kage said.

A little while later, Yugi felt Neil stopping. Soon they saw him, holding the unconscious Koneko before a black portal. The three stopped before him.

"Neil, why are you doing this?!" Kage shouted.

Neil said nothing. He stared at them blankly. "He has no choice, Kage." said Yugi. "He's being used."

"My master wants the saviour of light to come to him." With that, Neil walked in the black portal with Koneko. They disappeared in its darkness.

Kage wouldn't let him go so easily. He was desperate for Koneko's life. "NOOOO!!!" He ran after Neil.

"Kage, wait!" Yugi called him. His warnings came in vain as Kage dashed into the portal and disappeared.

"Yugi, we should follow them." said Lily. Yugi looked at her strangely. Now she was eager to face danger?

Yugi and Lily ran together into the portal, which disappeared behind them. The pair reappeared inside a dark cold dungeon. There were no signs of Koneko, Kage, or Neil.

"Where are we?" Yugi whispered. He called out loud. "Koneko?! Kage?!"

"It's dark in here." Lily said, shuddering.

"Hold my hand, and stay close." Yugi said. "We don't want to get lost in here." Lily, of course, complied.

The two walked through the dungeon looking for an exit. The place was empty of life, but they found many cells in the process.

Yugi shivered. "Whoa, look at these cells." he said. "If anyone got locked up down here, they would've died of cold." As they continued along, one cell in particular caught Yugi's attention. He stopped to look at it closely. "What's this?"

That cell was different from the other ones. It had a small futon inside, with a few old broken toys around it, a small rocking chair beside it, and some burnt wood on a corner, like someone had started a fire. There was also a broken picture frame on the futon. The dust covering it prevented the picture to be seen clearly. The place looked like a poor imitation of a child's room. It looked like nobody had been in it for years.

"What?" Yugi said. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

Lily didn't answer, and Yugi didn't know what to say at the moment. So they continued their way. They saw a door at the end of it. Relieved to find the exit, they went for it.

"A pathetic child once lived down here." a dark chilling voice said.

Yugi and Lily gasped. Neil appeared on the exit's doorway. The voice came from him, but it wasn't his. It was like last time when his voice changed. Could this be the voice of the entity?

"Neil!" Yugi said. "What did you do with Koneko and Kage?"

Neil raised his lit lamp, the only thing close to a light. "If you want your friends back," his voice had changed again to his own, "follow me." He turned and disappeared.

Yugi and Lily ran out of the dungeons and found themselves in a large hall with two ways.

"Where did he go?" said Yugi as he looked both ways. He turned to the right, intend to go that way.

"No, Yugi." Lily's voice stopped him. "This way." She pointed to the left.

Yugi gave her a surprised look. "How do you know?"

"I...heard some faint footsteps." she replied.

Yugi turned again and walked left. The air then became as cold as in the dungeons. "You're right. Darkness feels stronger this way."

"It's getting cold." Lily shivered and placed her arms around herself.

They went through the hallway. The tri-colored warrior followed the dark aura to the first door to the right he came upon. They entered. Inside the room was Neil in front of another black portal. The servant glanced at Yugi.

"The way to the Master's room is long by foot." he said. "Follow me." He walked into the portal.

Yugi and the redhead went after him. They were now in front of two huge double doors. The portal closed. The darkness on the other side of those door was so immense, even Yugi shuddered a bit. He opened the doors.

"Welcome."

It was that chilling voice again. As Yugi stepped into the new room, the air got colder, a chill ran up his spine. A dreadful feeling filled his heart. He pushed it away and calmed down. The doors slammed behind him, and he ignored the noise they made.

The dark one sat on his throne. Koneko laid face up on his lap, and he held her close. She was still out. Kage was kneeling beside the throne with his head down in submission, his face hidden. The Black Magician stood behind him with his staff ready to attack at any time. Yugi glanced to the side and saw Neil standing by the door, on one knee, showing respect to the entity. Lily stayed behind Yugi. At the sight of his friends' condition, Yugi felt anger rise in him. He let it show with a glare, and a white light surrounded his body. Some of his power bursted from him, sending a loud echo throughout the room, as it scattered around into the walls. The entity was a bit surprised, but then regained his calm. He stroke Koneko's hand and hair. That only made Yugi angrier

"I've been waiting for you, Yugi, saviour of light." said the entity. "So you're the one from the Prophecy of Light. You look even smaller up close."

"It's you!" Yugi shouted angrily. "You're the one who's causing the destruction of this universe."

The entity stood from his throne with Koneko in his arms. He sat the blonde on the floor before his chair, with her back resting on it. Her head hung like she was dead. The dark one turned back to Yugi. "This universe belongs to me. I do with it what I please. And its people belong to me too. I will let you know that I could've taken control over the ones surrounding you at any time, but where's the fun in that? I wanted a challenge. However, you are a threat. Therefor, you must be eliminated."

"Let my friends go!" Yugi yelled. "All the souls you have trapped here are screaming for freedom!"

The entity gave an insane smile. "I know. I hear them all the time. And that gives me more reasons to not let them escape. Their screams are beautiful. They fuel up my soul. The souls are under my control, and will stay that way for eternity."

"Who are you?" asked Yugi.

The entity closed his eyes, maintaning the strange smile. "Really, Yugi." He opened his eyes again. "I thought you were smarter than that. To think you haven't figure it out by now."

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In Yugi's universe... (SMG: "You guys were wondering, weren't you?")

"Oh Ra..." Yami muttered. The others heard him and their attention was on him.

"What is it, Yami?" said Ryou.

Yami stood abruptly from his armchair. "I know who he is now!"

"Really?" said Jou. "Then what are you waiting for? Spill."

"I have to warn Yugi first." Yami used the mind link. /Yugi!/

Yugi's image on the screen didn't change, and neither was Yami's call answered.

/Yugi, can you hear me?/

Again, no response.

"What's wrong now, pharaoh?" asked the irritated Bakura.

"The link." Yami said. "It's blocked..."

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In the AU...

The entity stepped closer until his face became visible to all eyes in the room. Yugi's eyes widened.

"It can't be!" he yelled in disbelief. "You're Yami!"

The young man before him did look like Yami. He had the same height, only his sharp eyes were black and held and evil, insane look; and ALL of his blonde spikes stood up with the rest of his black, blue-lined, hair.

The entity gave out another smirk. "I had been called by many rotten names from my family, and funny nicknames by my former friends. You may call me Nessuro."

"Nessuro?" Yugi said shocked. He's the one Max and Prince Umi had mentioned when he first met him. So that's why Koneko shuddered when Umi said that name. "You're Neil's older brother!"

"I guess." said Nessuro, giving a quick glance at the boy kneeling by the door. "But he doesn't matter. I really wanted to test you before you came here. I wanted to see your skills, your power, and your innerstrength. So I even had you tempted to see if you would leave. But to do that I decided to...send someone." His eyes were now on the redhead girl behind Yugi. "Isn't that right, Injection Fairy Lily?"

"Huh?" With his back to her, Yugi had failed to notice Lily had changed. Injection Fairy Lily smiled and raised her gigantic needle to stab Yugi on the back.

To Be Continued...

Saiyan Moon Goddess: If the grammatical errors are numerous, I didn't have time to correct them. I was in a hurry today! REVIEW! The more you review, the faster I'll write the next chapter!"


	16. Chapter 15: Mistaken Identity

Saiyan Moon Goddess: I'm so sorry, you guys! Sorry I didn't update earlier, but I decided to take a break from fanfiction and concentrate more on my novel. Also, I get a bad case of writer's block on summer vacation. And speaking of the novel, the abstract is finished! Yay! All it needs is revising, a few changes here and there, and soon (who knows) I'll publish it! I'm so excited! Now, for the story...

This chapter was worked out by DJ Rodriguez )/Daniel Rodriguez ) and me. I'm proud to announce Daniel as my boyfriend and fanfic partner. Thank you, members.../

To Onç-sama no Kaede: I should clear that up, huh? You see, at first I took the names for my alternate doubles randomly from my Japanese dictionary. I pointed out any word, changed a letter or two, and used it as a name. Yes, Nessuro is not a word. I took it from Nessuru. I simply changed the last letter, that' s all. I hoped that cleared things enough. I thank you for pointing this out, and for your review. I may fix some other name errors.

To ukrc: I apologize for confusing you. I just didn't want the bad guy's identity to be revealed just yet. And I knew him being Yami would be no surprise. I had already thought of that. That's partly why this chapter was made for.

/ALTERNATE DOUBLES/

/From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)/

1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess (18 years old)

/From Yu-Gi-Oh!/

1. Nessuro - ??? (18 years old)

2. Neil - ??? (16 years old)

3. Prince Umi - Ryou (19 years old)

4. Prince Cerulean - Bakura (9 years old)

5. Prince Zukoi/Hiroshi - Marik (20 years old)

6. Prince Ryu - Malik (the yami) (10 years old)

7. Max - Pegasus

8. Korosu - Bandit Keith

9. Jono - Jou

10. Amaya - Anzu

11. Queen Emi - Mai

12. King Isamu - Ryou's Father

/From Yu Yu Hakusho/

1. Kage - Hiei (18 years old)

2. Zorro - Kurama

3. Akira - Botan

4. Maki - Koenma

5. Iwa - Kuwabara

6. Jin - Jin

7. Yuke - Yuseke

8. Yasu - Yukina

/telephatic talk/

"talk"

'thoughts'

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 15: Mistaken Identity-

Injection Fairy Lily smiled and raised her gigantic needle to stab Yugi on the back. The little warrior could only look over his shoulder as he was too late to stop her. Before the task could be complete, however, a blast of black magic came out of nowhere and hit Lily from behind. She screamed as her body exploded into particles and disappeared into nothingness.

Gasping at the sight, Yugi turned completely to see his savior. A blonde woman dressed in her magician's armor, her staff raised before her, stood in front of the closed entrance.

"Black Magician Girl!" Yugi called to her.

The Oracle smiled and bowed to him.

"Yugi-sama, please forgive my tardiness." she said. She looked up and frowned at Nessuro behind Yugi. "I had a "

"What happened to you?" Yugi asked her. "After I lost contact with you& I was so worried!"

"Nessuro captured me." The Oracle once again smiled at the savior of light. "I must thank you, Yugi-sama, for it was you who freed me."

Yugi blinked in confusion at that statement. "I freed you? How?"

"Well, I don't know what happened exactly to make you turn on like you did, but you sure let out one huge blast of your own power." Black Magician Girl chuckled. "You made the place shake like a leaf."

"I knew I should've gotten rid of you when I had the chance." said Nessuro. "To think I was able to keep the Oracle under control, yet I am unable to control his apprentice& "

"My sensei used his remaining strength to protect me, Nessuro." said Black Magician Girl. "Now you're using him and all my friends to do your biding, just like you used Lily."

Yugi glared at Nessuro. "That was low of you Nessuro, using Lily like that!" He prepared himself for any kind of attack, careful not to make any sudden moves.

Nessuro smirked back at him. "Yugi, you are but a thorn in my side. I want to see you scream in agony. But first, it'll be amusing to see you struggle against my power."

Nessuro raised his right hand. A black-bladed, double-edged sword appeared on it. Dark energy pulsed from it. He swung it once and pointed it at Yugi.

"There's something I'd like to ask you, Yugi."

Yugi's hikari powers engulfed his katana, making it glow with white light. Light energy pulsed from it. The small warrior held it tightly.

"And that would be?"

"I know all about your alternated universe and the alternate doubles." said Nessuro. "Everyone in this universe is an alternate self of someone in yours. So I'm curious as to who this Yami person is. You said I'm him, right?"

Yugi growled at the last statement. "Yeah, but his personality is far from yours."

The dark entity let out an amused chuckle. "Then I suggest you take another look behind you." He pointed his sword over Yugi's shoulder.

Yugi did as he was told, hesitantly. Cautiously, he glanced over his shoulder, to see Neil rising to his feet. The young man removed his dummy mask and hood. Yugi's eyes widened at what he saw.

"No way..." he breathed out.

Neil was an exact replica of Yami! The same blonde spikes, the same sharp eyes. The differences were that his lifeless eyes were aqua green and his hair was blue-lined.

"Yugi," Nessuro spoke, making the little warrior turn his attention back to him. "Do you remember the last verses of the Prophecy of Light? The last two, what did they say?"

"A mirror only reveals a dark waterfall, yet your reflection will be your downfall." Yugi repeated the last verses. At that, Yugi finally realized what Nessuro was saying. "That's means that...you're me!"

"So you figured it out." The entity gave him an insane look. "HAHA! Ever wondered what would've happened if you chose another path, Yugi?" His body glowed with dark power. "This is the answer."

Dark waves expand out of Nessuro's body and engulf the entire room, exposing every corner. They passed harmlessly through Yugi's body. Yugi stood strong.

"I will never fear or succumb to the darkness of evil, Nessuro." said Yugi. "I'm the Light in the Darkness; I am the thing that people cry out for justice! I am true."

Yugi's speech only made Nessuro chuckle more. The dark waves may not harm him or Dark Magician Girl, but they reached and passed through Neil's body. His soul came out right through his mouth like it was smoke. The waves also hit Koneko and Kage. They shared the boy's fate. All three bodies collapsed to the floor, lifeless. This didn't go unnoticed to the savior of light and the Oracle.

"I'M AN ALLY TO GOOD, AND A NIGHTMARE TO YOU!" He exploded with white-light, angry. His power once again pulsed through the room, making it shake. The dark waves crumbled and vanished.

"Yugi-sama, be careful!" Black Magician Girl yelled.

Yugi took powered-up katana up, and charged in head-first into battle. With his black sword ready, Nessuro followed suit. Both blades made contact and a large shockwave of both light and darkness filled the entire dark grounds.

Black Magician Girl glanced at the Black Magician standing near the throne with a sad look.

"Oh, sensei." she said. "Why did it have to happen this way?"

The Black Magician noticed the blonde girl and stared. Meanwhile, Yugi was having a bit of trouble keeping up with Nessuro's savage techniques. The guy was both skillful and ruthless. Despite the danger, Yugi could really put to used what Marlene had taught him.

8888888888

Back in Yugi's universe, his friends were watching the fight on their TV, as well as keeping an eye on Marlene's body, which they lay on the couch while they sat on the floor in front of it.

"Damn." Yami swore. "I can't contact Yugi! Nessuro must've blocked our link somehow."

"So, what does that mean for us?" said Shizuka, eyes glued to the TV.

"Nothing." said Ryou. "We can only watch. Yugi is on his own."

"No!" Jou protested. "There has got to be something we can do to help!"

"I'm serious, Jou." said Yami. "Even without the link, Marlene could've done something. But her soul was taken. There's nothing we can do."

8888888888

Yugi's blocked all of Nessuro's blows. Whatever the evil one threw, the savior could block and retaliate; and whatever Yugi threw at him, Nessuro would do the same.

"We're evenly matched, Nessuro!"

"Ha!" Nessuro laughed, not convinced. "That's what you think! You have a weakness that I left years ago!" At those words, he sent the Black Magician a mental command.

Oracle, won't you say hello to your student?

Black Magician reacted immediately. He took his staff and attacked Black Magician Girl, sending a blast of dark magic. The blonde oracle gasped and held her staff defensively.

"Sensei, no!" she yelled.

Yugi heard her yell and glanced over at where the blonde was. He saw the Black Magician attacking.

"NO!!"

The small warrior's distraction left him open for attack and allowed Nessuro to slash deeply at his right shoulder. It bled profusely.

"AGHH!!"

Yugi dodged a second blow, ignoring the pain, and quickly ran over to the two oracles. He stood in front of Black Magician Girl and blocked the attack with a light-force shield. He held his bleeding shoulder as he let the shield dissipate.

"You okay, Oracle?"

"Yes, thank you, Yugi-sama. My sensei is the true Oracle; he trained me. He won't go down easily."

"Kill her." Nessuro commanded the Black Magician. "Leave the hero of light to me."

Yugi still had three coins left. He flipped on and it turned into a Black Pendant. "Here, take this." He gave the pendant to Black Magician Girl. "It should power you up enough to have a chance against him."

"Thank you." The Oracle's apprentice placed the pendant around her neck.

Yugi smiled. "My pleasure." With that, he returned to the battle with his alternate double. They kept a good ten feet distance from each other, each taking a battle stance.

"Well, Yugi, you seem to be low on supplies." Nessuro said, not sparing him a glance. He was staring at Yugi's blood that stained the tip of his black blade.

Yugi glared. "Perhaps, but all I need is my faith and heart. They are my true weapons, and they will not fail me here." He reached into his pocket, and felt two coins left. He knew he had to use them wisely, if he was to win.

Nessuro reached into his pocket and took out a silver coin. He flipped it and it disappeared in mid air.

"Yugi, ' d like to show you a little old friend of yours."

As Nessuro laughed once again, a dark hole opened behind Black Magician Girl. Three loud roars echoed through the dark space as one. The ground shook slightly as footsteps approached, and a dragon stepped out. A Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Black Magician Girl turned around and gasped at the ferocious creature.

Yugi turned from Nessuro for a moment and saw it.

"No!!" he yelled.

While they were distracted, Nessuro took out another coin and flipped it. Yugi didn't notice. He dashed over to the dragon, using every once of fury and power within him. His katana glowed white-hot as he faces the dragon.

Dodging White Lightning blasts and bites, Yugi started to know how his monsters felt whenever he played Duel Monsters. But this was more like the Middle Ages, with the brave knight fighting the fiery dragon.

"Man, this monster is something else!"

Black Magician Girl could only watch; she was no match for the blue dragon.

Neither of them noticed the large shadow looming behind Nessuro. A pair of large eyes glowed in the dark above the evil one's head.

8888888888

In Yugi's universe...

"This is not good." said Yami, seeing Yugi was in trouble. "Nessuro is deliberately using Yugi's protective instincts against him."

"That means he's attacking Black Magician Girl to distract Yugi from battling him." said Shizuka as she cuddled closer to Yami.

"Actually, he's wearing Yugi out." said Bakura.

The image on the TV screen did a close-up on Nessuro.

"By the time you finish, you'll be too tired to fight me. Why not forget the Oracle's apprentice and get this over with?" he said.

The close-up turned to Yugi and the dragon. The savior of light growled and a gigantic blast of energy exploded from his body. It spread, destroying the Ultimate Blue Eyes like it was nothing, and reaching the Black Magician, weakening him. The Oracle was thrown back by the force.

"NEVER!!"

8888888888

In the AU...

The Ultimate Blue Eyes' destruction didn't surprise Nessuro at all. It seemed he had expected this. His plan was working perfectly so far.

"I wonder how much more you can take."

Yugi stood in front of Black Magician Girl, panting in exhaustion from all the power he had used. His legs shook but he refused to fall. Even his katana felt heavier in his right hand, especially with the deep wound on his shoulder.

"Black Magician Girl, are you okay?" he rasped.

"Yugi-sama, please stop." the Oracle's apprentice pleaded. "You'll be too weak to fight him if you continue."

Yugi reached into his pocket and took out a silver coin, which turn gold at his touch.

"I have two coins left." he said. "But I'll have to use one now."

The small warrior flipped the coin and it turned into a small, blonde fairy. She squeaked happily and flew around Yugi's head, spraying him with water. As she did this, most of Yugi's wounds healed and some of his strength returned to him.

Yugi sighed in relief. "Thank you, Soul of the Pure."

Once the tiny fairy was done, she squeaked again and vanished.

"Oh, Yugi," Nessuro's sing-song voice was heard. "Would you like to meet my special servant?"

Nessuro raised his sword and the shadow behind him moved closer, revealing Exodia Necros. The monster passed his master and stomped over towards Yugi, the big grin on his face. The ground shook with each step and his dark green, black armor glowed with an evil dark green aura.

Yugi looked up at the giant, eyes widened. Black Magician Girl looked worried. Yugi groaned slightly.

"This...is bad." he said.

Black Magician Girl glanced at Exodia Necros, then at Yugi, then back at the monster. And idea suddenly came to her, and she frowned determinedly.

"I'll do it!"

Yugi glanced over his shoulder at the Oracle's apprentice. "Do what?"

Black Magician Girl gripped the Black Pendant around her neck, and ripped it off! Now gripping her staff tightly she charged straight at the Black Magician.

"BMG, no!!" Yugi called after her.

Black Magician Girl didn't listen and it looked like she was about to attack. Black Magician didn't bat an eye as he raised his staff and fired his Black Magic attack on her. Surprisingly, his apprentice immediately dropped her guard and let the blast hit her dead on. She let out a blood curdling scream of agony before exploding into particles. Yugi had seen it all, unable to do anything to help her. It all happened so fast...He shut his eyes tightly, tears spilling from them.

"Black Magician Girl..." he whispered.

Nessuro had also seen the apprentice's demise. He looked thoughtful for a few seconds, then chuckled.

"I have to admit she surprised me." he said. "Now I see what she's planning. I simply wonder if she'll achive her purpose before the pieces combine."

Yugi didn't hear him. He was trying to keep his anger in check. The warrior of light raised his eyes full of rage at Nessuro.

"I will not let her sacrifice be in vain!"

Exodia Necros and Black Magician slowly stalked towards Yugi, intent on finishing him off. Nessuro could clearly see Yugi's struggling. His anger was almost at its peak. Maybe one little push could set him off. And that exactly what the evil one wanted.

'Yes.' Nessuro thought to himself. 'Let your rage consume you. Let me see your true power.'

'Focus, Yugi.' Yugi thought. 'I can't let my anger blind me now. This is not a good time.'

Nessuro then got an idea. "What are you going to do, Yugi? I hold your friends' souls in my power. And there's one of them who would like to deliver...a message for you."

Yugi panted from the extreme emotions swelling up inside his mind. "What?"

The little warrior looked up as something materialized over Nessuro's head. It was a big glass triangle, and Marlene's soul was trapped inside. Seeing Yugi down bellow, she banged her fists against the glass.

"YUGI!" she yelled.

Yugi's eyes opened wide. "M-Marlene?!"

Nessuro smirked seeing his plan was working.

"Yes, the very jackpot." he said. "She's perfect for my collection."

Yugi's rage and anger were practically at breaking point. Not only his face but also his strained voice showed it.

"Let...her...go!!"

"Careful now, Yugi. I could just eat up this soul and she'll become nothing. I have an appetite for souls."

"You do, Nessuro...and I will show you no mercy!"

Yugi heard the banging against glass above and glanced up at Marlene, who was trying to catch his attention.

"Yugi, don't!" she said, her voice muffled by the glass. "He's not what he appears to be!"

The warrior of light heard her slightly; he looked surprised "What?!"

"One thing is true." said Nesurro. "For someone who's power doesn't even compare to mine, she's not as submissive as the others."

Yugi smirked. "That's my girlfriend for ya!"

Nessuro frowned at this. Yugi was regaining control once more. It could ruin everything. His eyes glowed white.

"Yugi, look deeper into the darkness!" said Marlene's soul. "He lost his-!" She was suddenly interrupted as the glass triangle disappeared, taking her with it.

The evil one's eyes stopped glowing and he smiled. "Another annoying mouth less." He waited to see what would happen next.

"NOOOO!!"

As Nessuro expected, to his satisfaction, Yugi's power exploded. His body became surrounded by the blinding light once again; Nessuro had to shield his eyes from it. Yugi's eyes glowed white with power and anger, his muscles grew slightly, now visible on his once petite body; and most of his blonde spikes flared up like when he used to change into Yami, but his eyes stayed the same shape. Amethyst eyes stopped glowing and they fixed a glare on Nessuro.

To Be Continued...

Saiyan Moon Goddess: Yay! Next chapter will come sooner than this one. I promise! And.../looks around/ it seems something has gone wrong with my previous chapters in I noticed a lot of missing symbols. I better fix this before people get really confused. But I can't do it today. I have to read a play for school. I'll do it tomorrow, k? See ya in the next chappie!! 


	17. Interlude: A Tribute to Yugi

Alternate Universe Twist By Saiyan Moon Goddess 

Interlude: A Tribute to Yugi

SMG: Hello, people! I know this isn't a chapter, but I've decided to make this interlude for Yugi-kun! We Yugioh fans saw Episode 158: Fate of the Pharaoh Part 3. Yugi sacrificed his soul for his dark half's safety, even after the bad things he did and how he treated his monsters. But as he was taken away, he left someone behind, who misses him dearly. To honor him, Marlene would like to dedicate a love song for her beloved Yugi!

readers: /stare at her/

SMG: No, not me! Her! /points at Marlene (OC) Mouto/

readers: Oh.

/Marlene OC takes the microphone and stands on stage./

SMG: You go, girl!

/Soft music plays. Readers and Anime people cheer. Marlene OC smiles sadly and begins./

How do I,  
Get through the night without you?  
If I had to live without you,  
What kind of life would that be?  
Oh, I I need you in my arms, need you to hold,  
You're my world, my heart, my soul,  
If you ever leave,  
Baby you would take away everything good in my life,

/Marlene OC places a hand over her chest, over her heart. A bright light shines in the back of the stage behind her like a morning star/

And tell me now How do I live without you?  
I want to know,  
How do I breathe without you?  
If you ever go,  
How do I ever, ever survive?  
How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?

/The light behind her dims slowly until it's completely gone. The only light in the room are the glow-in-the-dark stickers and the tiny blue light lanterns on stage./

Without you,  
There'd be no sun in my sky,  
There would be no love in my life,  
There'd be no world left for me.  
And I,  
Baby I don't know what I would do,  
I'd be lost if I lost you,  
If you ever leave,  
Baby you would take away everything real in my life,

And tell me now,  
How do I live without you?  
I want to know,  
How do I breathe without you?  
If you ever go,  
How do I ever, ever survive?  
How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?

/A single tear runs down her cheek./

Please tell me baby,  
How do I go on?

If you ever leave,  
Baby you would take away everything,  
I need you with me,  
Baby don't you know that you're everything,  
Real in my life?

/A tear runs down her other cheek./

And tell me now,  
How do I live without you,  
I want to know,  
How do I breathe without you?  
If you ever go,  
How do I ever, ever survive?  
How do I, how do I, oh how do I live?

/More tears come, yet she continues singing./

How do I live without you?

How do I live without you baby? How do I live?

/The music slows, then ends. Everyone cheers and claps as the singer wipes the tears from her eyes and bows./

SMG: grin Isn't she passionate? Give it up for Marlene (OC) Mouto for dedicating this song to her husband Yugi!

Readers: /applause/

SMG: Well, I gotta go work on the new chapter. If anyone has a problem with Yugi and Marlene getting married in my author dimension, I don't really care. So don't waste your good keyboards on flames and instead use them for constructive reviews and (who knows) a wonderful Yugioh story of your own! Daniel-chan, if you're reading this...blows a kiss

A message from Saiyan Moon Goddess, Ultra Warrior, and friends...

Yugi, a man among men, an angel misplaced among mortals. YUGI RULES!!


	18. Chapter 16: A Battle Against Myself

Saiyan Moon Goddess: Sorry for the delay. I was planing to post this yesterday but it came out today. Had it not been for my sweet Daniel-chan, this chapter would've probably turned out even later! Thanks again, honey! 

/ALTERNATE DOUBLES/

/From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC)/  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess (18 years old)

/From Yu-Gi-Oh!/

1. Nessuro - Yugi (18 years old)

2. Neil - Yami (16 years old)

3. Prince Umi - Ryou (19 years old)

4. Prince Cerulean - Bakura (9 years old)

5. Prince Zukoi/Hiroshi - Marik (20 years old)

6. Prince Ryu - Malik (the yami) (10 years old)

7. Max - Pegasus

8. Korosu - Bandit Keith

9. Jono - Jou

10. Amaya - Anzu

11. Queen Emi - Mai

12. King Isamu - Ryou's Father

/From Yu Yu Hakusho/

1. Kage - Hiei (18 years old)

2. Zorro - Kurama

3. Akira - Botan

4. Maki - Koenma

5. Iwa - Kuwabara

6. Jin - Jin

7. Yuke - Yuseke

8. Yasu - Yukina

"talk"

'thoughts'

-Alternate Universe Twist- By Saiyan Moon Goddess

-Chapter 16: A Battle Against Myself-

In Yugi's universe...

Yugi's friends saw everything. They wouldn't move an inch from their positions. It was a suspense movie and the plot thickened. When Black Magician Girl was destroyed, Yami understood her actions.

"Black Magician Girl must've let herself be destroyed to eliminate the Exodia parts in the graveyard!" said Yami. "That's the only way to destroy Exodia Necros!"

"Smart girl." said Seto.

Yami and the others then stared unblinking at Yugi in the TV in pure amazement and admiration as the petite warrior tranformed and didn't look as insignificant as others (who don't know him) saw him. Yami, Bakura, and Seto themselves felt fear creeping up their spines as they saw this new side of Yugi.

8888888888

Alternate Universe...

Exodia Necros and Black Magician start to slowly back away from Yugi, now afraid of his unleashed power. They stop when they feel their master's aura behind them, flashing in a threatening manner.

'Cowards.' Nessuro thought in disgust. He meerly stared at Yugi with satisfaction.

"Let us continue our fight, Nessuro." said Yugi, his sword glowing white.

Weapon ready, Yugi was determined not to lose. He quickly went for a frontal assault, but Black Magician and Exodia Necros blocked his path to shield their master.

"Out of my way!" Yugi yelled at them.

Nessuro smirked as the monsters didn't reply. Exodia Necros fired a dark green energy blast at Yugi, yet he managed to dodge the beam easily.

'Show me what you're made of, Yugi.' Nessuro thought as he enjoyed the fight.

Yugi dodged both energy attacks from both Exodia Necros and Black Magician. He planned to have Exodia Necros gain enough power, so he could "accidently" blow Black Magician in the process of trying to hit him. The small warrior attacked the big black monster by slashing at its right arm with his glowing sword. It did no physical damage, but that increased Exodia Necros' power and anger. Black Magician send a blast of black magic at Yugi, but the nimble warrior deflected it with his katana.

Exodia Necros, irritated by the little pest, goes on a wild rampage. He threw a power sphere at Yugi, hoping it would disintegrate him. However, Yugi anticipated the attack and stood in front of Black Magician. At the last second, he leaped out of the way and Black Magician was destroyed by the blast. Nessuro laughed softly at what happened.

"I expected no less." said Nessuro.

Yugi landed in front of Exodia Necros; there was a smoking crater where Black Magician once stood behind him. Yugi slashed rapidly at the creature, but the mighty monster was only annoyed by the blows. The little warrior frowned at this.

'How can I defeat him, when even my best techniques seem to have no effect?!'

"It's kill or be killed, Yugi." said Nessuro. "You will never leave this place alive."

Yugi shot him another glare. "I'm going to prove you wrong, demon!"

"Really? And how are you going to do that?"

"I'll find a way!" Yugi shouted while dodging another blast and a right-cross.

8888888888

Black Magician Girl roamed about the dark gloomy territory of the Graveyard, where the many souls of the monsters killed before roamed around. She wasn't angry at Yugi for the ones he killed, for he had fought in self-defense. The Oracle's apprentice resented Nessuro for manipulating her friends.

"I know how to defeat that horrible beast; that's why I chose to be killed." she said to herself. "Its power lies here in the Graveyard."

Black Magician searched the place, avoiding the souls of the other monsters in case they were still under Nessuro's control. Most of them ignored her existence and wandered around like empty shells. Soon, the apprentice found who she was looking for...the almightly Exodia.

Exodia was whole, and his body was snared in dark-green energy chains. He struggled to get free, but it was of little use. Exodia looked up. Black Magician girl was surprised to see he was alright, free from Nessuro's control unlike the others.

"Black Magician Girl!" the monster called out of her.

"Exodia, I have come to set you free!"

Black Magician Girl floated in mid air and tried to blast the chains off with her staff, but they weren't damaged.

"I know what is happening outside." said Exodia. "The only way to destroy the vile Necros...is to utterly destroy me."

"I...I can't do that." The apprentice hesitated.

"I won't let you, anyhow." said a voice behind her.

Black Magician Girl turned around, Exodia looked up. They found themselves face to face with Black Magician and Injection Fairy Lily.

"Only two of you, huh?" Black Magician Girl regarded them with a sad look. "I thought things would get worse, sensei."

"It's about to!" The Oracle sneered at her.

He sent a black magic blast at Black Magician Girl, but she evaded it and it hit Exodia instead. He screamed in pain, but stayed on his feet. Lily tried to stab the Oracle's apprentice with her large needle, but the agile woman dodged her blows. While doing so, she got an idea, realizing what she had to do.

Black Magician Girl kept the duo busy until they got irritated and decided to end the bout by combining their powers. They stood before their victim, who floated in mid air waiting, and started to bring about their full power.

'This is it!' she thought.

Black Magician and Injection Fairy Lily fired a mix of pink-red and ebony energy blast at the blonde woman. At the last second, she leaped out of the way. As she flew high, Black Magician Girl quickly turned around and combined her own black magic with theirs. It was now zooming towards Exodia!

"WHAT THE-?!" The evil duo was taken by surprise.

The combined trio of energy hit and engulfed Exodia. Black Magician Girl showed a sad smile, as did Exodia. He then let out a final yell of victory before exploding and disappearing for good.

'It worked.' the apprentice half-cheered. She smiled at Nessuro's servants. "Thank you for the help, sensei. I really must be going now. I have...unfinished business with someone."

With that, the apprentice vanished.

8888888888

Exodia Necros was in the middle of another attack, when it suddenly exploded into particles. Nessuro shielded himself from them; Yugi stared in shock.

"What they-?!" said Yugi.

"Well, it seems she was successful after all." Nessuro said calmly.

'Black Magician Girl?' Yugi thought.

Nessuro charged at the unexpecting Yugi with his black sword, moving like a shadow in the already dark room. Yugi blocked him in time, but was sent back a few feet. His continous fights with the monsters left him drained and fatigued.

"I really...don't know...how much...more ot this...I can take." he said panting.

"Come on, Yugi." said the amused Nessuro. "Is that all you got? I thought you'd be more of a challenge!" He sent a black energy blast at the hero.

Yugi barely dodged the beam; it burned him on his neck slightly at it passed by.

Nessuro smirked. "Or maybe you need more motivation?" Yugi's eyes widened slightly. "I'll enjoy devouring that girl's soul."

Yugi glared. "Don't...you...dare, Nessuro!!" 'I have got to think of something, quick!'

Yugi and his alternate self continued fighting. Like before, they were both evenly matched. But with Yugi drained he began to have problems keeping up with the evil Nessuro. Nessuro was winning, still the small warrior refuse to fall at his feet. The hero blocked another hit and was sent back farther than first time and fell over. Nessuro then stopped his attacks and smiled at Yugi, who stood up again.

"So Yugi, do you give up already? I could just consume your soul and end your suffering. I'm getting bored anyway...You disappoint me."

Yugi breathed hard. "Just...leave my...friends alone, Nessuro."

"Sorry, but I can't do that. They belong to me. I'll do with them what I please. And as soon as I gain better control of the dimension travel, I can go into your universe and many others." He stretched his free hand toward Yugi. "Now, give me your soul!"

Yugi's body glowed with Nessuro's hand. Pain went through him as his very soul was being ripped from his body. He shut his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth. Opening his eyes half way, the warrior saw Nessuro was distracted. He sent whatever power he had left into his katana. Yugi flung it at the evil one. The blade exploded into bright, white shards that scarred and burned away at Nessuro's face when they hit him.

"AHHHH!!!" Nessuro held his face in pain, releasing his hold on Yugi's soul, who sighed in relief.

'Yes!!' Yugi mentally cheered. Still, to the small warrior's surprise, Nessuro's skin melted away to reveal half an ashen gray, horrible demonic face and one red and black eye.

"Now you've done it." the entity growled in a deeper voice.

Yugi took a good look at Nessuro's new face. Now he truly looked like a demon. He quickly sent a mental signal; the broken pieces of his katana reassembled itself whole and returned to its owner's hand.

"Now, this is serious." he said.

"You have crossed me, Yugi Mutou." said Nessuro, his canines growing larger. "Once I swallow your soul, you and your pathetic friends will become nothing, nothing but a worthless memory of what you used to be."

"Not today!" Yugi snarled.

Yugi positioned himself in an offensive stance, ready for the biggest battle of his life. But this time, something different happened. Nessuro ripped away the rest of his fake skin to expose his real appearance completely. Then he was laughing again. Yugi was mildly surprised.

"Maybe this won't turn out disappointing after all." Nessuro said, grining. "I'll have to stop playing if I want to kill you."

"What?!" Yugi yelled. "You mean all this time you've been...holding back?"

"From the very beginning, yes. You have seen nothing yet, savior of light. I'll rip your soul to shreds anytime now. But I can feel the power inside of you. You have proven yourself, Yugi. And for that, I believe, you deserve a reward. You may not live to see me conquer all the existing universes, but..."

Yugi stared in a horrid fascination as Nessuro's eyes changed color. They went to from black and red to a sickly pupiless white with green veins. The green veins seemed to spread all over his ashen gray face.

"I will let you see beyond what you see right now." said Nessuro.

For some odd reason, Yugi suddenly found himself frozen in place; he couldn't take his eyes from staring right into the entity's eyes. The demonic eyes glowed, and it felt like an electric current going between them; something undescribable pulsed from those eyes. Yugi could hear a heart strongly beating in his ears, but he couldn't tell if it was actually his...for his mind went blank...he heard an echoing laugh...and the world went black..

To Be Continued...

Saiyan Moon Goddess: YAY! I got it done! I can't believe it! Man, writer's block SUCKS! No matter what, this work will be finished! I promise that! Just please try not to skin me alive for this super cliffhanger. Have mercy! Please review! I need comments!

MERI KURISUMASU!


	19. Chapter 17: The Earthbound Angel

Saiyan Moon Goddess: I apologize a million times for making you wait almost a year. Inspiration comes to me when I least expect it. To make it up to you, I can say there are only 4 chapters or so left for this piece of work to be finished. I got chapter titles and I got ideas!

Like I said, writer's block or not, I'm determined to finish my stories! So if there's still anyone out there that still likes my work enough to wait for me, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, its plot, or its characters. Yami Yugi and Yami Bakura have bodies in my fic and I'm using Japanese version names. All look-alikes have been revealed so the list won't get any longer.

ALTERNATE DOUBLES

From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess (18 years old)

From Yu-Gi-Oh!  
1. Nessuro - Yugi (18 years old)  
2. Neil - Yami (16 years old)  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou (19 years old)  
4. Prince Cerulean - Bakura (9 years old)  
5. Prince Zukoi/Hiroshi - Marik (20 years old)  
6. Prince Ryu - Malik (the yami) (10 years old)  
7. Max - Pegasus  
8. Korosu - Bandit Keith  
9. Jono - Jou  
10. Amaya - Anzu  
11. Queen Emi - Mai  
12. King Isamu - Ryou's Father

From Yu Yu Hakusho  
1. Kage - Hiei (18 years old)  
2. Zorro - Kurama  
3. Akira - Botan  
4. Maki - Koenma  
5. Iwa - Kuwabara  
6. Jin - Jin  
7. Yuke - Yuseke  
8. Yasu - Yukina

"talk"

'thoughts'

/mind talk/

Alternate Universe Twist by Saiyan Moon Goddess

Chapter 17: The Earthbound Angel

Yugi's Universe...

There was a collective scream...

"WHAAAAAT!"

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the TV set. Most of the group sat in front of the couch, where Marlene's body lay. Yami Bakura and Seto sat on two armchairs. Popcorn and soda cans lays forgotten scattered all over the floor around them. Jou, who had kept eating, chocked on his popcorn until Honda gave him a whack in the back.

On screen Nessuro and Yugi seemed frozen. But they knew better, at least Yami felt it for he almost tore his hair off in apparent pain. That was enough for the others to know something was terribly wrong. And just then, they heard a metallic clash as Yugi's katana dropped from his hand. The small warrior fell back to the floor, unmoving. Nessuro's smirk was visible as his black irises returned and the green veins vanished. Nessuro was now the last one standing. Yugi's friends were all at loss for words, until they erupted into another collective scream.

"YUGI!"

Alternate Universe...

Nessuro approached the fallen warrior and stared into his amethyst eyes, now dull and soulless. The sight made him smile wickedly.

"Now this universe's last hope has fallen." he said. "It was fun while it lasted, but in the end I have won, savior of light. You were no match for me. And now that your soul is mine, I shall destroy your body before you can figure out how to return."

Nessuro raised his arm high, his black blade tight in his grip. He instantly aimed to decapitate the body in a clean cut, and without any hint of hesitation he brought the weapon down. Yet, before the tip could even come in contact with the pure skin, it recoiled back against an invisible barrier and almost hit its master. Nessuro gasped and managed to regain his balance.

"What! How is this possible!"

Yugi's Universe...

Yami held his palm stretched toward the TV screen, his other hand holding his head. He greeted his teeth, grunting at the strain pulling at his very brain. The others turned to him, questioning what he was doing. He merely smirked and didn't take his eyes off the TV.

"You're not getting your filthy hands on my hikari." he said.

"Wow!" Jou said. "Yami, how are you able to shield him?"

Yami frowned. "It's not easy. Nessuro has a tight barrier of black magic around his castle. It's sapping my strength. I just hope Yugi returns before my protection spell collapses."

All eyes returned to the scene, mentally praying for Yugi's safety.

Alternate Universe...

Nessuro growled in frustration. No matter how hard he swung, his blade couldn't get to Yugi's neck not even an inch. He even tried black magic attacks, but all efforts were in vain. The little one's skin remained unmarred except for small bruises and scratches from the precious fights. The dark one drove his blade into the floor once his patience reached it peak.

"Damn you!"

After a while, he regained his cold surface. Another wicked smile formed on his lips as he pulled his sword free from the stone floor.

"Never mind, it's only a matter of time anyway. If I can't destroy you in the physical realm, I'll make you suffer in the next one."

The dark entity then left Yugi's body lying on the floor, turning his back on it and walking back to his throne. Kage and Koneko's bodies still lay around the large chair. He simply kicked them away carelessly and sat back on his throne, holding his sword in one hand. He mentally checked the magical barrier he had around his castle and was satisfied to see it running properly. Nessuro expanded his mind throughout the alternate universe. Again he was satisfied his slaves had brought him every single soul to him. There was no one left but him. His next move would be swallowing the souls of those slaves of his. But first thing is first.

"Now, you're mine...earthbound angel." Nessuro said and closed his eyes.

Yugi's universe...

"Damn it!" Jou cried. "Do something!"

The TV set kept focused on Yugi's body and Nessuro. But both figures were unmoving from their positions and that made everyone anxious to know what hell was going on. Jou hit the set trying to change the image, but he would only succeed in breaking the machine. Honda had to hold him back.

"Calm down, Jou." said Ryou. "How about a change of channel?"

Ryou took Marlene's remote control and pressed the channel "up" button. The TV's image changed.

"Did it work?" Mokuba said.

"Look, it's Yugi!"

Alternate Universe...

'What's...happening?'

Cold...

Emptiness...

Anger...Hatred...

Were those his feelings?...No, but they surrounded him on every side, constricting him. His body floated in mid air, yet he felt his body as heavy as if he was made of stone. And a sharp pain tug at his chest. He didn't have the strength to open his eyes let alone move his limbs. He floated in the empty darkness. Waiting for it to consume him entirely in its silence...

Sorrow...Loneliness...

Betrayal...

Love...?

Die...Dead...Let me die...

Earthbound Angel...

/Yugi-sama/

What was that? A voice echoed in the distance. His shoulder twitched slightly, his eyes moving under the eyelids. He felt some of his strength returning.

/YUGI-SAMA/

Amethyst gems snapped open and looked round franticly. Yugi looked down at his body and saw it was transparent. He could see right through himself. Not just that, he was engulfed in a bubble of black flames. With a yelp he expanded his light power around himself in panic and the bubble burst easily, the flames extinguished. Yugi looked all around himself but he was surrounded in every direction by black empty space. He floated in nothingness. He panted and tried to regain his calm when he heard the voice calling him a third time.

/Yugi-sama/

Yugi turned sharply and gasped when Black Magician Girl and Neil greeted him. The Oracle's apprentice flashed him a big smile while Neil stayed solemn and silent. The little warrior stared in shock for a second, then suddenly tackled Black Magician Girl in a hug.

"Black Magician Girl!" he said. He pulled back and looked at her in the eyes. "But...I thought you...How!"

Black Magician Girl's smiled wavered. "I wasn't completely destroyed. In this universe, the magical beings you refer to as Duel Monsters have two lives. If we're killed once, were taken to the graveyard, but we can come back. The second time we die, however, we pass on."

"I'm so glad you're alive!"

The Oracle's apprentice hugged him back quick, then pulled away looking serious. "I know, but we don't have time for this now."

Yugi nodded, serious as well. "Where are we?" He turned to Neil, just noticing him. "Neil?"

"Hello, Yugi-sama." Neil said.

Yugi felt relief hearing his voice, it was the same as Yami's, which reminded him of home. Though hearing his dark half calling him master was just plain weird...But remembering this was Nessuro's younger brother and under the evil one's control, he kept his guard up. It seemed that Black Magician Girl heard his thoughts for she smiled reassuringly and said:

"Don't worry, Yugi-sama. Neil is on our side. I found him while looking for you." She frowned sadly. "Unfortunately, he's the only one I could find. Everyone else is scattered somewhere in this black realm."

"Where is this then?"

"We're inside Nessuro." Neil replied, shocking Yugi. "It seems he succeeded in taking your soul."

"No! That can't be!"

"Yugi-sama, he gave us the advantage." Black Magician Girl said.

"Huh?" said Yugi. "How?"

"You see, he knew, unlike the other souls, you are able to return to your physical body. Yet, he has underestimate you. He doesn't believe you'll reach him from here."

"What?"

Neil's aqua green eyes bore into his. "You have to cross this place to the other side." he said. "And find Nessuro's subconsciousness, where his soul is being kept."

"Alright then, but how can I get there? I can't tell which way is right and which left."

"Not to worry, Yugi-sama." Black Magician Girl took out her magic staff and raised it over her head. She muttered a spell into it and the tip glowed faintly. The apprentice held out her staff to a direction, frowning in concentration, and smiled. "This way. Follow the light!"

Black Magician Girl flew through the black space. Yugi and Neil glanced at each other before following after her. After going straightforward for a while, they easily lost track of time. It felt like they had been moving for hours. Yugi frowned worriedly, silently wondering how long they had been there and what was Nessuro doing at the current moment.

The farther they went, the colder the atmosphere around them got. The three ignored the feeling and hope filled them as Black Magician Girl's staff glowed brighter as they covered more distance. Still, no matter how far they went, it still looked like they were getting nowhere.

"There's something up ahead." Black Magician Girl said.

Yugi and Neil fixed their gazes of them. Just ahead of them there was a tiny twinkle of light.

"What is that?" Yugi asked.

"I don't know." Black Magician Girl said. "But it's in our way. We can't surrounded it, else we'll lose time."

"Then we have no choice." Yugi said. "Let's go through."

The trio flew further, toward the twinkle of light. Once they were close enough, the twinkle disappeared. For a moment, Yugi thought it had been nothing. But he didn't see the frown in Black Magician Girl's face.

It hit them all of the sudden. A blinding light flash right in front of their faces. The black space was gone. Yugi looked around for the Oracle's apprentice and Neil, but he found himself alone.

"Where...?" he said to himself.

The little warrior felt like someone did a redecoration of the place. Instead of black space, he floated in white space. He stopped moving for fear of getting lost.

"Black Magician Girl? Neil!"

He got no answer, but something did happened. Yugi looked up to see someone approaching him. In the distance between him and the mysterious figure he couldn't tell who it was.

"Wait! Stay where you are! Who are you!"

The person kept walking toward his floating soul, either not hearing or ignoring his words. He tensed up, drawing out his katana in case he needed it. As the figure came closer, he managed to see it better. Once it was within closer view range, he gasped loudly. A blonde girl walked to him, staring up ahead.

"Marlene!" Yugi yelled in shocked, then added quietly. "Or...is it Koneko?"

No mistake about it. The girl's eyes were hazel. Koneko's eyes were gray. It was Marlene, his love, from his dimension. He remembered the last time he saw her, when Nessuro made her disappear. For a moment he feared he had lost her, yet there she was. A smile came to him and his hope renewed.

"Oh, God! Marlene!" he called out to her, floating to her.

However, Marlene didn't respond to his call. The little warrior stopped at that, frowning in confusion. He took a closer look and noticed Marlene's greenish brown eyes were glazed over and dull. She kept walking not really looking at him, more like through him. The blonde then went past him without even a glance. Yugi felt hurt by that and he froze. Once he regained he came back to his senses, he floated past Marlene and stopped in front of her.

"Marlene, stop! It's me, Yugi!"

Once again she passed by him without acknowledging him. He was floored...What was wrong with her? Trying to keep himself from panicking yet again and floated beside her, following her steps, and waved a hand in front of her face. Marlene kept staring ahead with a dull gaze. In one last desperate attempt Yugi held her back by the shoulders and shook her.

"Marlene-chan, please, talk to me! What's wrong?"

Marlene stopped walking, but still stared through Yugi. "Earthbound angel...can't...can't get out..." she whispered, barely heard. The blonde then pushed Yugi to the side and continued her way. This time, Yugi let her go and watched as she disappeared into white space.

"What's going on!" he yelled frustrated. He wanted so much to go after her. He suddenly heard a noise behind him. "Huh?"

Yugi looked behind him and saw more figures walking toward him like Marlene's soul just had.

"Now what?" he groaned, then gasped, eyes widening "No way..."

More souls were walking his way. It was like an army of them. They all walked with dull stares, some walking aimlessly away from the rest. Most walked in a straight path and passed Yugi without a glance. They bumped into Yugi or pushed him aside like Marlene had done and kept on their way. Familiar faces he saw, some not. Young, old, men, women, children, even duel monsters. In the crowd he saw Kage, Koneko, Prince Umi, Prince Cerulean, Prince Hiroshi, Prince Ryu, Zorro, Amaya, Yasu, and many more. Every person he had and had not met in the alternate universe were wandering around in the white space.

Seeing all those people in that condition and having those dull stares bore into him made Yugi panic again. They looked like freaking zombies! And he couldn't get out from the large mass of the crowd. He was being buried under them, suffocating...

"H-help...! No!"

/Yugi-sama/

The little warrior felt his hand being gripped by an invisible force, which pulled him away from the crowd. Before Yugi knew it, he found himself back in black space. Black Magician Girl was the one holding his hand, and Neil was right behind her. Both looked at Yugi worried. He turned to both of them.

"What...just happened?" he asked.

"We almost lost you." Black Magician Girl said. "The lost souls inside Nessuro are gathering up for some reason and are pulling any other wandering souls to them. They almost dragged you and Neil off to wherever they're going."

Yugi looked down grimly, clenching his shaking fists. "Not a pleasant experience."

"We must hurry." Neil said. "We're coming closer to the subconsciousness."

"Yeah, the sooner the better." Yugi agreed. He shudder as the haunted eyes of the lost souls remained on his mind.

The Oracle's apprentice once again took out her staff and guided the two boys through the darkness. The path remained quiet as Yugi and Neil were too freaked out about what happened to say anything, and Black Magician Girl knew how they felt so didn't utter a word either.

They continued until the Oracle's apprentice came to a sudden stop. She looked before her, her staff glowing and letting out sparks. She let out a small gasp.

"What's wrong, Black Magician Girl?" Yugi asked her.

"We are unable to go further from here." Black Magician Girl and reached out with a hand. She yelped when she came in contact with an invisible barrier that shocked whatever touched it. "This soul barrier is too strong for me. Yugi-sama, from the three of us you are powerful enough to cross."

Yugi reached out and touched the barrier. He felt it, but it didn't shock him like it did Black Magician Girl.

"What will I find on the other side?" he said.

"Nessuro's soul," Black Magician Girl said. "and the demon responsible for all the suffering in our world."

"Huh?"

"It's hard..." said the blonde woman. "I didn't tell you before, but all this chaos wasn't caused by Nessuro alone. There's someone else..."

Before Yugi could ask, Neil stood before him. "Yugi-sama..."

"Yes, Neil?" The little warrior still felt uncomfortable with being called master, but said nothing about it.

"That monster took my brother from me." Aqua green eyes were filled with tears. "For many years I've missed his loving and caring smile, the one he gave only to me when he looked after me. After I saw the Prophecy of light, the thought of the earthbound angel coming to protect us gave me reason to hope. So I implore you, savior of light, please bring my brother back to me safely." He bowed to Yugi.

Yugi frowned at first. When he fought Nessuro he felt the evil coming from him. He devoured souls and made innocents suffer for mere pleasure. He did much horrible things; and he took Marlene from him. I wasn't easy for him to see his alternate double as anything good. But Neil should know more about his brother than Yugi. After reflecting that, he smiled and helped Neil stand straight again. He looked at him straight in the eyes, which were leaking by now.

"You have my word, Neil. I promise, I'll bring Nessuro back safely."

Neil couldn't contain himself. He hugged Yugi saying thank you and crying happily. Yugi pat him in the back, then pulled back, turning to the soul barrier.

"Alright, here I go." he said.

"We trust you will come back safely as well, Yugi-sama." said Black Magician Girl.

"We apologize for not being able to fight by your side." said Neil.

"It's alright." Yugi said. "Without you, I would've been lost in this place with no idea what to do. I appreciate all your help. I'll defeat this demon and release all the souls from this place. I'll be seeing you."

Yugi flashed them both a grin and stepped through the barrier. He only felt a tickling feeling inside him as he passed, and proceeded to fly through empty space. On the other side, he could've sworn the atmosphere got colder. He floated straight ahead.

He didn't have to go long, though...

In his way, he eventually encountered a lone soul sitting in the dark in front of him.

"Who's there?" Yugi called out, weapon ready.

The person looked up. Blank eyes stared back at him. This was the first soul that had actually answered his call and look at him, not through him. The black darkness never failed to shock him, for the soul sitting before him was Nessuro!

"Nessuro?"

Yugi approached the soul cautiously when Nessuro didn't move from his spot. No matter what, Nessuro stared at him with that dull stare as if trying to penetrate him. He looked close to nothing like the cruel villain Yugi had encountered. When the little warrior got close enough, Nessuro stretched out his hands toward him. Immediately he tensed, but didn't feel any hostility from the soul. He held still. Nessuro's hands went to his face; they were an inch apart when Yugi's vision went blank and all he saw was white and the last thing he heard was a whisper in his head.

/Earthbound angel.../

FLASH (Some people hate these, but I don't care. There's going to be a few of these. Hehehe...)

An image came to his view. He could barely move, feeling weak and helpless. Someone was carrying him in a loving embrace, and he could feel his body covered with a warm blanket. For a moment he could've sworn he felt tinier than usual, yet he felt safe. Then he glanced to the side and saw he was heading into a cave entrance. He took his surroundings and saw the one holding him was a young woman, a man by her side. For now he could just lie in the lady's arms and wait. As the pair went inside the cave, the blanket wouldn't let Yugi see the insides of the cave clearly. He heard voices and glanced up when the pair stopped. His eyes widened when they came in contact with a familiar pair of ice blue eyes. The Black Magician was looking down at him. Yugi heard a voice in the distance, also familiar, and female by the sound of it.

"Oh! I've done it!"

Yugi's eyes moved to the direction of the sound and saw Black Magician Girl wearing white robes, her magician armor and helmet nowhere to be seen, and her staff resting against a table in front of where she sat. She looked much younger than the woman he had met in the alternate dimension. The blonde one held her hands open in the air and a circle of green colored magic floated between them.

"Master!" she cried happily. "I have done it! My first vision! And it's beautiful! Is this a true prophecy?"

"We shall see, Mana." Black Magician told her. "But you're being rude. We have guests."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she let the circle disappear and straightened up, smiling brightly at the man and woman. "Welcome to the Oracle Peak! How may we be of service?"

Had it been a better and less confusion situation, Yugi would've laughed. She sounded like one of those people who worked in Disney World or something like that, bubbly, cutely innocent, and full of endless happiness. Black Magician sighed at her attitude and turned to the pair. They didn't seem to mind.

"We brought our firstborn son to you, great Oracle." the woman said, holding out the little bundle to him. Inside the blanket was a baby boy.

"Please, tell us how bright our future is now that our love has brought a new blessing into this world." said the man.

"Oh, master, please let me do this one." Black Magician Girl pleaded. "You said I needed practice."

"Yes, but not like this." said the Oracle. "Now, Mana, leave this to me."

Mana was disappointed but looked hopeful. "Can I watch?"

"Go ahead."

"What a beautiful baby!" she started cooing at the little one. "May I know his name?"

"His name is Nessuro." said the mother, smiling at the apprentice's eagerness.

After cooing the baby some more, Mana stood back and let the Oracle do his work. Through the baby's eyes, Yugi saw Black Magician rising his staff over his head. A purple colored circle of magic similar to Mana's green one appeared. The Oracle looked into it like fortuneteller staring into a crystal ball. He frowned.

"I see horrible things is this young one's future." he said.

His words froze the couple, whose smiles turned to surprised expressions, then apprensive they looked. Terrible images came out from the circle that everyone in the room saw. From visions of monsters and demons, to bloodcurdling shrieks of men, women, and children, to scenes of innocents being torn apart by destruction. In the middle of the chaos, was a small shadow with glowing demonic eyes. Black Magician recited a prophecy as the images circles around the room. Even his apprentice was scared and gasped at what she saw. Once it was over, the parents looked at their son with shock and disgust while the Oracle and his apprentice Mana looked with pity in their eyes. The baby seemed to sense the hostility of his parents' gaze, for he started wailing.

"Demon child!" the mother cried.

"He'll bring the death of us all!" cried the father.

"Wait, please!" Mana pleaded with them. "My master's prophecies aren't always accurate. Besides, if you raise him right, I'm sure he won't turn out like the prophecy says."

But the girl's words went on deaf ears. The pair's eyes stayed the same, not even the crying of their child soften their hearts. Yugi felt a chill go up his spine. The two left Oracle Peak with the baby, Yugi hearing how they said he was a monster and how they should deal with him.

FLASH

The scene changed before Yugi'swell, Nessuro'seyes. This time a two year-old Nessuro was standing up watching his parents who stood in front of him. The boy wore rags and lived in a closet room where his mother and father said demon child's lived. He was never called by his name by them, so he only knew because their servants called him Nessuro.

Mother was happily rocking a newborn baby in her arms. Father also looked proud. Nessuro gave his new little sibling a curious stare. The baby had the same hair as him, black and blue spikes with blonde bangs, only the baby's blonde bangs stood up with the rest of his spikes. They also shared the same aqua green eyes.

"What shall we name him?" said the father, ignoring his other son in the room.

"I like Neil." said the mother.

"Neil it is. We must take him to the Oracle immediately. Maybe this child may correct the first mistake."

The father didn't even look at him, but for a toddler Nessuro knew he was referring to him. Mistake was one of father's nicknames for him.

"Should we bring it along?" father said, now glaring directly at the boy watching them.

"My love, we must." said mother. "Who knows what chaos he would cause in our absence."

"Yes, you're right."

The parents went back to where the Oracle lived, all the while ignoring Nessuro (Yugi) completely. They presented their second son to the Oracle. Mana once again left whatever she had been doing, cooed the baby and made funny faces for him. And she greeted Nessuro happily, not minding the parents' bad look in their eyes. Yugi felt Nessuro's heart light up. When Black Magician predicted a new prophecy, the happy atmosphere fell once again. It was another dark prophecy. This one said Neil would suffer greatly in the future at the hands of a loved one. The Oracle didn't mention if the loved one was a family member or a friend, but the parents instantly thought of Nessuro and glared at him, who shrank back. The Oracle shook his head sadly at their behavior.

The parents left Oracle Peak in a hurry, barely pausing to pay their respects to the Oracle. The mother held her baby close sobbing and crying. The father dragged their eldest son forcefully by his arm.

Back home, the mother put the baby in his crib and the father locked Nessuro in his closet room. They went to their room and talked, leaving their door wide open in their hurry. Nessuro pressed his ear on his door and heard his parents talking loudly.

"This is going too far!" said the father. "We should talk to the king and execute this demon!"

"We can't!" said the mother. "Innocence is a perfect disguise for a demon. No one will believe us if we tell them this child is evil."

"Then we kill him ourselves!"

"We go to jail! What of our son?"

"Then we give him up!" the father insisted.

"People will interrogate us. We told no one of this boy, but they will suspect. One of the wealthiest families in this country suddenly gives their firstborn away for so reason? What will others think of us? Our image will be ruined. And we shouldn't put others in danger for our mistake."

Nessuro heard every word, and he understood them somewhat. What he failed to understand is why his parents despised him so much. Yugi felt what he felt and wished the ground would swallow him, his heart breaking for the child. He later heard the parents come to a decision. They gave their servants orders to transport Nessuro's belongings to their dungeons. The father  
unlocked his door and dragged the boy without a word to the dungeons, where he threw him into a cell and left him there. Caged like an animal. The cell was decorated to look like a makeshift of a child's bedroom. It was the same one Yugi and Lily passed when they came into the castle after Neil ran through the black portal. Nessuro lived there from now on, never to be let  
out except to go to the bathroom. His parents never came to see him and servants brought him food.

To Be Continued...

Saiyan Moon Goddess: I'll get started on the next chapter as soon as I do my tests this week. It's already planned, just waiting to be wrote down. I'm inspired at last! And for those who don't know, when I'm inspired, I write a preview!

NEXT TIME: Yugi keep watching Nessuro's memories from his point of view. Whatever caused him to turn into the evil being he encountered? Answers he will get, but what will he do once he faces his alternate double again? Careful, Yugi! It's not Nessuro you have to worry about!

NEXT CHAPTER: Chapter 18: My Inner Demon


	20. Chapter 18: My Inner Demon

Saiyan Moon Goddess/moved to tears/ I can't believe it! There are people still faithful to this story! I may reach 100 reviews by the end of this work. I love you all/calms down/ Well, here I go. This fic is almost done. And I'm going to finish it soon, maybe before Halloween! Speaking of Halloween...should I wear my Catwoman costume again? I usually never use the same costume twice, specially two years in a row. But it did get me some dance offers...HAHAHAHA! Nah, maybe not. I hate regge as it is. Enjoy the chapter!

Oh, and don't worry about Yugi. He'll be back before this chapter ends.

To Red Dragon Of Egypt: It's a common mistake made by people because of the American version of Yugioh. Yugi lives with his grandpa AND his mother. But Mrs. Mouto is cut off in the edited version of the series for an unknown reason. Yugi is not exactly an orphan. However, his father is not mentioned not even in the manga. Nothing is known of him.

ALTERNATE DOUBLES

From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess (18 years old)

From Yu-Gi-Oh!  
1. Nessuro - Yugi (18 years old)  
2. Neil - Yami (16 years old)  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou (19 years old)  
4. Prince Cerulean - Bakura (9 years old)  
5. Prince Zukoi/Hiroshi - Marik (20 years old)  
6. Prince Ryu - Malik (the yami) (10 years old)  
7. Max - Pegasus  
8. Korosu - Bandit Keith  
9. Jono - Jou  
10. Amaya - Anzu  
11. Queen Emi - Mai  
12. King Isamu - Ryou's Father

From Yu Yu Hakusho  
1. Kage - Hiei (18 years old)  
2. Zorro - Kurama  
3. Akira - Botan  
4. Maki - Koenma  
5. Iwa - Kuwabara  
6. Jin - Jin  
7. Yuke - Yuseke  
8. Yasu - Yukina

/mind talk/

"talk"

'thoughts'

Alternate Universe Twist by Saiyan Moon Goddess

Chapter 18: My Inner Demon

FLASH

Ages  
Nessuro: 6  
Neil: 4

The scene changed again before Yugi's eyes. A noise woke up Nessuro from his nap and he looked up from his futon inside his cell. His breath came out like white smoke and he shivered from cold. He saw his little brother kneeling on the other side of the barred doors. The little boy gave him a mischievious grin.

"Ohayo, oniisan!" he said.

Nessuro smiled softly at him. Despite his parents telling Neil horrible things about him, the little boy let his childish curiosity take over him and visited his brother often. The kid saw no demon in him and looked up to him. The two became close behind their parents' backs as Neil became Nessuro's reason to live on with his sanity intanct.

"Oniisan, I got a present for you!" said Neil. "Look!" He handed Nessuro a blue flower. "A flower that only blooms in winter! I got it just for you!"

"Thanks, Neil." Nessuro said holding the flower to his heart. "I don't know where I would be without you."

"I got you more blankets in case it gets colder down here. Did you get another rat bite?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Great! I finally convinced mama and papa to let you out."

Nessuro's eyes widened. Let him out, for real? Neil had been begging his parents to let his brother out into the open, saying he must be bored in his cell. The parents always refused and kept that decision for 2 years.

"Really?" Nessuro looked at him startled.

"Yeah! I'll take you into town! The servants are buying food in the markets for winter, and we're going with them. Let's have fun together! Just you and me!" Nessuro nodded, which made the little one happier.

A servant came later with the key to the cell and let Nessuro out. Neil stayed with him the entire time and tackled his big brother into a hug once he came out. She explained that her master gave orders not to leave Nessuro alone with Neil and not let Nessuro out of her sight. But a wink and smile from her let them know she was on their side. Neil took Nessuro to his room and the woman gave them both warm clothes to go outside. Nessuro felt weird in them. He had gotten used to rags.

Nessuro and Neil went to town to buy food with the servants. Nessuro was nervous and held his brother's hand the entire time. He hadn't been let out of the dungeons for 4 years and the only people he had seen were the servants. He felt utterly lost there like a deer in a snake pit.

While nobody was looking, the boys sneaked away. Neil led the elder brother into a small bakery, where they saw all kinds of delicious treats. The sight and smell of fresh bake made Nessuro's stomach growl and his mouth water. He remembered trying those sweet treats as Neil sneaked them to the dungeons for him whenever he got the chance.

"They make the best cakes here!" Neil said. "Let's try some!"

They reached into a basket of baguettes, only to get hit with a long wooden spoon. They yelped and rubbed their hands, and glanced up to see a girl with long blonde hair tied in a pony tail and grey eyes. She took a good look at the expensive clothes they wore and frowned.

"Naughty boys, don't you touch grandmama's baguettes without paying first!" she said, waving her spoon at them. "I don't care how rich you are!"

They boys smiled sheepishly and apologized. Still, Nessuro couldn't help but stare, and blush. He had never seen a girl before, looking at her made him feel funny inside. Accepting the apology, the girl turned friendly and smiled brightly, welcoming them to her grandma's bakery.

"My name is Koneko." She curtsied at them. "And yours?"

Nessuro was too nervous, so Neil spoke for him. "My name is Neil, and this is my oniisan, Nessuro."

"I'm happy to meet you." Koneko smiled at Nessuro. "You have the cutest little brother, sir."

Nessuro turned redder. "Uh, you can...call me Nessuro...Yeah, Nessuro's okay."

Neil noticed the look in his brother's eyes and grinned wider. He immediately invited Koneko to play with them. Anything to make Nessuro happy. He deserved it. Koneko accepted but only with her caretaker's permission.

"Grandmama!" she called into the back of the bakery. "May I go out and play?"

"Alright, but be back to help me decorate the cakes!" came an eldery voice from the kitchen.

Koneko took off her apron putting on a coat, scarf, and hat. The three left the bakery to play. Most of the time they just ran around town. In the winter season, it wasn't that lively around, but Koneko brought some warm cookies with her and Neil bought some hot chocolate with the money his parents trusted him with...and some he had taken from the servants' pockets. Nessuro had never had so much fun in his life. He loved every second of it and didn't want to go back home anytime soon.

When they crossed a busy street, a luxurious white carriage almost ran over them. The horses came to a halt with loud whines and they almost knocked the carriage over. The rider scolded the children and continued his way. As the carriage passed, they saw a kid with ocean blue hair and kind brown eyes poke his head out the window. He smiled and waved at them. Koneko curtsied like she did Nessuro and Neil before, only lower. The boys stared.

"That was Prince Umi." said Koneko. "Grandmama told me to bow at royalty."

Nessuro had learned yet more new things as the day passed. The children kept playing until the servants came for Nessuro and Neil. Koneko said her goodbyes and returned to the bakery. Nessuro's smile wavered at the thought of returning to the cold dungeons but thinking of all the good things that happened in his day gave him more hope. At home, his mother said nothing to him but wretched Neil away from him with a glare. She told the woman servant watching over him to take him to his cage.

FLASH

Nessuro: 6  
Koneko: 6  
Neil: 4

Another scene change. Ever since that wintery day, Neil could only convince his parents to let Nessuro out if they were home. And they weren't home that often because of important business. But the little boy managed to steal the cell key from his father's room and free his brother when they weren't around. It wasn't that hard, seeing his parents never bothered to check on Nessuro or anything that concerned him. Nessuro and Neil stayed friends with Koneko and invited her to play every day.

Once, during town, they saw a royal carriage pass, but it was different from the first they had seen. The boys were confused. so Koneko explained it to them.

"Grandmama said our neighbor king and queen from Kotao are coming to visit with their son. They always have dinner with our king and queen once a month and they bring their son Prince Zukoi. But the prince visits once or twice a week. Our Prince Umi and him are good friends."

"Let's follow it." Neil said.

Nessuro stared down at his feet. He felt if he even glanced at the blonde girl, he would freeze and blush like he always did. He would think he had got used to her presence by now.

"Nessuro?"

"Yes, Koneko?"

"Where is Neil?"

That's when he noticed his little brother was missing. He forgot about his embarrassment and searched for the boy, but didn't see him anywhere. A cold feeling in the pit of his stomach grew. What if something happened to him? He couldn't bare it...

"There he is!" Koneko cried.

The boy looked back at the royal carriage and his aqua green eyes widened. It was little Neil who was holding on to the underside of the carriage, which was approaching the palace grounds. Nessuro and Koneko ran after it. They were too late though, for the carriage passed through the entrance and the gold gates closed behind it. There were two men guarding the entrance. Nessuro and Koneko pleaded for the guards to let them pass, but even when they told him about their missing friend they refused. They thought the children were just playing some kind of prank on them and ignored their pleas all together. So they left the entrance. Yet, unwilling to give up, Nessuro suggested they climbed the wall into the palace grounds. Koneko wasn't very happy about the idea, but they had to get Neil back before he was found out.

The children went far from the gold gates and climbed up the wall. Nessuro had a bit of trouble, for it was Neil who was used to things like those, but Koneko helped him out. She explained that she had once explored mountains with her uncle and they climbed a lot. At the top they looked for any trouble, and they saw no one around. They leaped off the wall and landed in an immense garden. Nessuro had never seen so much fauna beauty in his life. Flowers of all colors, trees of all sizes, and their perfume-like scent filled the air. Koneko was nervous.

"We're going to get in trouble." she said.

"Let's just find him and get out of here." Nessuro said and she nodded.

Nessuro took Koneko's hand, trying not to blush at the contact. But their moment was short-lived.

"Hey! What are you doing here, trasspassers!" a voice shouted.

A boy their age jumped out of the nearest bush and stood in a fighting stance. He had spiky black hair and deep blue eyes hardened in concentration as he held a knife in front of him, ready to attack if necessary. Nessuro and Koneko shook frightened. They had been discovered already! If the guards came for them...

"Wait, please!" Koneko said. "We don't mean harm."

"Yeah, we're trying to find my otouto." said Nessuro.

They told the boy about how they lost Neil and they wanted to find him without causing trouble. After a moment of suspicion, the boy relaxed and put the knife back in the sheath tied around his waist. Nessuro and Koneko let out a sigh of relief.

"Alright, I'll help you find him, but we must do it before otousan finds out. He is His Majesty's personal bodyguard and will tell him anything that's happening."

"Thank you, sir." said Koneko.

"No, please, my name is Kage. Who are you?"

"I'm Koneko; this is my friend Nessuro. And Neil is his brother."

"Okay, follow me, Koneko, Nessuro."

With the help of Kage, the kids sneaked around the palace and got inside through the servants entrance. Kage knew every corner of the place well. They went by unnoticed by the guards and went to where the carriages were kept. Kage stood guard while Koneko and Nessuro searched all the carriages. Neil was nowhere to be found. Nessuro started panicking.

"What if they got him!"

"Don't worry." Kage told them. "If he's not here, I know where he might be now. Follow me."

Nessuro and Koneko were confused but followed the dark-haired boy anyway. Kage snuck them through a different hall and up a long set of stairs, sometimes pausing because his companions stared at every wonder they laid eyes on. A palace is indeed nothing like the town where they lived. Not ever the castle where Nessuro and Neil lived in was that luxurious. Kage stopped when they reached the destination he wanted.

"Where are we, Kage?" Nessuro asked him.

"This is Prince Umi's room. He can help us and the king and queen won't find out."

That only made the children more nervous. They were about to meet the young blue-haired prince they had seen in town that wintery day. In person, no less. They held hands as comfort to each other as Kage led them inside. To their utter shock, there was Neil was playing with Prince Umi and another boy dressed in royal robes with blonde spiky hair and sky blue eyes. Kage bowed to them both, and Koneko and Nessuro did the same. Neil tackled his brother with a hug saying how much fun he was having. That didn't stop Nessuro from scolding the little one, though.

"You could've been hurt! Do you realize how scared I was?"

Neil looked down sadly, accepting his words. "I'm sorry, oniisan."

"Please, don't run off like that again. I couldn't bare it if something happened to you."

They tiny Yami-lookalike grinned and gave him a peace sign. "I promise."

"I apologize, Your Majesty." Koneko said to Prince Umi. "I hope Neil didn't cause you much trouble."

"There is no need for apologies, miss." said Prince Umi. "Hiroshi and I had much fun playing with him. It was delightful to have a new kid come over."

"Hiroshi, sir?" Koneko gasped as she recognized the face. "Your Majesty, Prince Zukoi."

The blonde prince blushed looking embarrassed. "Please, miss, call me Hiroshi. It's enough that my mother gave me that name."

Introductions were made and the children got along pretty well. Umi and Hiroshi loved the company for Kage was the only other boy their age in the palace they could play with. At Umi's orders, Nessuro, Neil, and Koneko were allowed to visit his palace. Along with Hiroshi and Kage, the children had fun together every time. They all became friends. Nessuro was at last truly happy. He had friends to trust, more reasons for him to live on. Not even the cell he was forced to live in ruined his good mood. Though he acted depressed whenever his parents looked coldly at him for fear they would find out of what he and Neil had been doing.

FLASH

Nessuro: 9  
Koneko: 9  
Neil: 7  
Kage: 9  
Umi: 10  
Hiroshi: 11

Nessuro's bond with Neil and his friends was stronger, as well as his crush for Koneko, so strong it made his heart beat fast. So far he was too shy to tell her how he felt.

Another morning...another rat to wake you up...

"AHHH!"

"Oniisan, did it bite you?"

"N-no..."

During a game of hide-and-seek in the palace gardens, Nessuro went as far as he could to hide. He saw a part of the palace he had never seen before. It was an old abandonded corner, not even the beauty of the garden reached it. Curious, he walked farther and saw what looked like a small abandoned chapel with chains around the entrance door and the windows covered in nailed wooden bars. He thought it was a perfect place to hide and squeezed through a hole in the wall. Inside there wasn't much. Just some old seats covered in dirt and dust and an altar with a broken angel statue over it. Nessuro studied the angel statue. It was holding a sword with a broken tip and the right wing was also broken.

The boy took two steps toward the statue when the wooden floor gave out under him. Nessuro yelled as he fell down the hole. His face hit hard wood on impact. Nessuro shakily pushed himself up to his knees, whimpering. Coppery taste filled his tongue and he touched his lips. He broke his nose and split his lower lip in the fall; his hands and face were covered in tiny scratches.

"Ow..." He looked around. "Where am I?"

He found himself inside a new, darker room. The small ray of light from the hole he made allowed him to see very little. In fact, the only thing visible to him at the moment was another statue. He looked up at the angel statue from above and turned back to the new one. This one was right under the angel. The statue held the image of a monstrous creature. Like the angel, this one was also broken, but in half. The upper half lay on the floor while the lower half stayed standing. Nessuro shivered as he felt the demon's eyes staring at him. The atmosphere around him was as cold as ice, which puzzled him since it was spring outside.

/A visitor/

Nessuro jumped surprised and fell back on his butt. "Who's there?"

/Hmmm...it has been so many centuries. Anyone would wish to stretch their limbs...if they had any. Wouldn't you agree, little boy/

Nessuro gulped. "Please, show yourself."

/Oh, patience, child. Let's see.../

Nessuro gasped as a quick sharp pain gripped the back of his head.

/Ahhh...For a child, you bare a large weight on your shoulders. Emotions that most children wouldn't worry about./

"W-what do you mean?"

/I feel pain, delicious pain from you./

Nessuro's eyes widened. Images flashed before his eyes. He saw his parents' cold stares, the way they treated him, and he saw his cage.

/Ugh! You have other emotions that sour up the sweet taste. Is that love/

Again, he saw faces, smiling faces of his friends, his little brother, and Koneko...

/How amusing. You're confused. You hesitate on the love you feel for that little girl. If only love wasn't in the way, I would be able to make you mine./

"Stop reading my mind!" Nessuro shouted. "And what do you mean by making me yours!"

/You'll see, but you don't have to understand now. I'll open the door for you./

The room shook violently, and the floor cracked and broke under his feet. He moved before he fell again and watched as a new hole formed. Black flames shot out from it, then disappeared back into the void. Curious, Nessuro looked into hole. He saw nothing but darkness. A pair of red eyes glowed in the distance, then got closer at an alarming speed. Once it became visible he saw a creature resembling the demon statue coming toward him. He tried to back off, but he fell through the hole, toward the demon's waiting claws. He felt his body grow dangerously cold.

"AAAAHHHHH!"

"Nessuro, wake up!"

Nessuro woke up in Koneko's arms, Neil beside him crying. He was surrounded by his friends. Looking around he saw he was still in the dark room. The demon statue was in pieces, and the floor under him was intact.

"What happened?" he asked.

"We've been looking all day for you." Koneko said. "Umi even had guards searching the palace. Kage said the area was strictly forbidden, but we came in here and found you, convulsing on the floor. No matter what we tried, you wouldn't wake up."

"Oniisan!" Neil hugged him tightly and soaking his chest with tears. "I was so scared!"

"I'm alright, Neil." Nessuro pat the kid on the back. "Really, I'll be fine."

"No, you're not!" Koneko protested. "Seizures aren't normal. You almost scared us to death, Nessuro!"

"We are taking you to the healer right now." said Prince Umi.

"What happened to the statue?" said Nessuro.

"I broke it." Kage said, glaring at the rubble of stone. "This place is cursed."

"Are you well enough to stand, my friend?" Hiroshi asked.

"Here. Let me help you."

Kage helped Nessuro walk as they left the chapel. Neil clung to his brother's arm the entire time. Everyone stole worried glances at Nessuro, and kept asking questions of his wellfare while they went through the palace halls. On their way, they encountered Queen Emi and Umi's mother, the queen of Taokao. Mai's lookalike carried a toddler is her arms who resembeled Hiroshi only his hair was spikier and Umi's mother sported a few months-old pregnant belly. Emi looked disapprovingly at Umi and Hiroshi's friends, mainly at Kage and Koneko.

"Why, my son?" she said. "How many times have I told you not to take place among these commoners?"

"But, mother." Hiroshi protested. "They are my friends."

"Excuses, excuses." Emi said, raising her nose high. "I hope my little Ryu doesn't turn out like his brother."

Umi's mother looked at the children kindly and kissed her son on the forehead. Then she followed Queen Emi the direction the kids had come from. The children made their way into the healer's room. Nessuro was checked. His nose and lip were cleaned as were his scratches. Upon further examination, no infection was found from the few rat bites he had, just some rash on his hands and feet. But that wasn't what caused the seizure, he had no idea what did.

The children returned to the garden, which was light up with fireflies. Koneko's eyes lighted up.

"Grandmama always told me if you catch a firefly, make a wish, and let it go, your wish comes true. Let's try it!"

As they began catching the glowing insects, Nessuro whispered to Kage secretly.

"Kage, why was that chapel cursed?"

"That's the chapel where Prince Umi's great grandparents got married." Kage said. "Unfortunately, they found that hidden room under the altar the day of the wedding, where they discovered people dressed in black adoring a demon god. After that, the chapel was closed and the demon followers were executed. No one's allowed near that place since. They say the demon they adored is able to come to life, take over a human life, and feed on souls."

Nessuro understood and asked no more questions. Each kid caught a firefly, except Neil who was so excited he caught three. They all gathered around and sat on the grass.

"What kind of wish can we make?" Hiroshi said.

"Hiroshi and I have everything people from the town desire." Umi said.

"Mama and papa are very rich." Neil said. "What could we wish for?"

"Love..." Nessuro muttered.

"What did you say, Nessuro?" Kage asked.

"Nothing."

"Let's wish that we'll always be friends, no matter what!" Koneko said. "We make this a promise."

"Great idea!" Nessuro smiled at her.

"Friends forever!" Koneko cried out happily, letting her firefly go.

"Friends forever!"

At their shout, the fireflies were released and they flew freely away.

"Let nothing in the universe break our bond." Umi said.

They all agreed and shared hugs and handshakes, Koneko getting her hand kissed by the boys. Watching her, Nessuro suddenly got an idea. He caught another firefly, planning on a new wish. He planned to wish Koneko to love him. But he hesitated. It wouldn't be fair that she loved him because of a wish. So he just wished her happiness and was about to let the bug go. He looked up to smile at the blonde girl and gasped in shock. Koneko was stealing shy glances at Kage. When it was his turn to kiss her hand, she kissed his cheek. They both blushed. Nessuro froze where he stood.

"Oniisan!"

At Neil's call, Nessuro looked down at his hands and saw a squashed firefly. His vision blurred as he heard a voice laughing in his head.

/Perhaps this will be sooner than expected./

The last thing Nessuro heard was Neil calling him before the world around him went black.

FLASH

Nessuro: 9  
Koneko: 9  
Neil: 7  
Kage: 9  
Umi: 10  
Hiroshi: 11  
Ryu: 1

Nessuro waited for Neil to come to his cell. The child sneaked into the dungeons soon enough with the key and freed his brother. Then they went to Neil's room and Nessuro changed into the best clothes he could find. He checked himself in a mirror while Neil watched him from his bed.

"So what are you planning, oniisan?" Neil said. "You asked me to invite Koneko over. Mama and papa haven't left yet. What if they find you out?"

"This is very important to me, Neil." Nessuro said. "Mama and papa are on the other side of the castle. I need you to keep anyone from coming near Koneko and I."

"Okay." Neil handed him a few violets. "Here's the flowers you asked for."

Nessuro thanked him and left to the garden to meet with Koneko, talking to himself.

"Ok, I tell her today, no interruptions or delays. I just hope I'm not too late."

He paused to take a knife from the kitchen. The sun was setting and there could be wolves outside.

Nessuro and Koneko met outside Nessuro's large castle under the sunset, the sky darkening by the minute. Koneko asked him about his reason to call her over and Nessuro offered the violets to her. She took them and took in the sweet fragrance, which made her smile

"I couldn't bring myself to say it at first, but I feel...attracted to you." he said. "More than a friend would. And I hoped," He kissed her hand. "that you might share those feelings."

Koneko took her hand back looking surprised. Her smile vanished and she looked sad.

"I'm sorry, Nessuro." she said. "I don't want to hurt your heart, but I already share those feelings with Kage. I-I'm sorry. I didn't know..."

Yugi felt Nessuro's heart breaking at that announcement. The boy looked away so Koneko couldn't see his tears, and at the corner of his eye he saw her looking away too out of respect for his feelings. He heard the voice laughing in his head again. He touched his forehead.

"W-wha..." Nessuro began feeling dizzy.

/It's too sweet for words! It makes me stronger.../

Nessuro suddenly lost control of his body. Yugi could still see through his eyes and saw him leap at Koneko and punch her. He ignored her cries of pain and beat her until she bled. Neil came out of nowhere and grabbed his brother's arm trying to stop him.

"Oniisan, please stop! Why are you hitting Koneko? You're hurting her!"

Nessuro backhanded him and threw him to the ground, forgetting about the girl. Neil whimpered and stared up at his brother in fear and surprise.

"So you betray me as well!" He yelled, but it wasn't Nessuro's voice. "I should've never trusted you!"

Nessuro left Koneko and started beating little Neil instead. The boy cried and pleaded for him to stop, but that only made Nessuro angrier. Koneko tried to hold him back but it was no use. She cried out for help. It didn't take long for Nessuro and Neil's parents to come over with a bunch of their servants behind them. The mother screamed at what she saw.

"Demon child! My baby!"

Nessuro was roughly pulled appart from Neil as his mother tended to him and the servants helped Koneko.

The father dragged Nessuro back to the dungeons. He could've almost rip his arm off in the process. They boy was thrown to the stone floor in front of his cage. The father never let go of his clothes and the top was ripped off, leaving his back and chest bare. Nessuro heard a soft whistle-like noise in the air and looked up to see his father holding a whip. His eyes widened.

"You have gone too far this time, demon!" the father shouted. "You're too dangerous to live!"

The man whipped the boy's bare back savagely. Nessuro's shrieks of pain echoed through the castle. His backside was soon covered in deep slashes, bleeding badly. Nessuro turned around to face his father.

"N-no...s-stop, p-please...AHH!"

His father took the opportunity to whip his chest. Even as the child fell over, he wouldn't stop, not until he saw the demon bleed to his death. Yugi felt his pain as the tip of the weapon cut deep into the skin. When Nessuro began to black out from pain and bloodloss, he heard a voice calling out and could've sworn he saw a little boy running into the dungeons.

"Papa, no! Don't hurt him!"

When he regained his senses, he saw Neil holding onto him and blocking their father's whip. Neil didn't mind his brother's blood soaking his clothes. Their mother stood a few feet away from her husband, sobbing.

"Don't hurt oniisan! He didn't mean it!"

"Neil, get away from him!" the mother cried. "Don't let that monster decieve you!"

"We should've dealt with him years ago!" the father said angrily. "My son, this is for your own good! Now stand aside!"

"No!"

The father succeeded in pulling a screaming little boy off Nessuro. Nessuro's eyes suddenly glowed red and he took out the kitchen knife he had hidden in his pants. He took father's distraction to slash his neck with it. His father staggered back, choking and gurggling on his own blood, then fell over. The mother saw everything and screamed in terror, giving Nessuro enough time to tackle her and stab her through the heart. Both parents died in a puddle of blood.

Neil froze from his spot on the floor. Aqua green eyes stared at the lifeless bodies of his parents. He was in shock for a few seconds.

"MAMA! PAPA!"

Neil tried to go over to the corpses, but Nessuro was quicker and grabbed him, holding him back. At first he held his little brother as the child cried on his shoulder. The boy pulled back Neil by his hair and held the bloody blade to his little neck.

"O-o-oniisan...why...?" Neil's eyes were red from tears and his face was tearstained.

"They were nothing but scum." Nessuro whispered, making the kid shiver. "However, you might prove useful. From now on, you will obey me and only me without question, or I swear I'll make you see hell itself until you go blind from crying BLOOD! Am I understood, otouto?"

Neil was too terrified of his sibling to answer. He reduced his cries to soft whimpers and shivers.

"I'll take that as a yes." Nessuro let Neil fall to the floor. "Now don't move from this place until I return."

Nessuro left the boy on the floor with the two corpses and left the dungeons. Nessuro held his knife tight, planning on eliminating all the servants in the castle.

FLASH

Nessuro: 10  
Neil: 8  
Koneko: 10  
Kage: 10  
Umi: 11  
Hiroshi: 12  
Ryu: 2  
Cerulean: few months

Nessuro redecorated his castle and made the biggest room his throne room. He had Neil kneeling beside his large chair waiting for his next command. Nessuro watched both kingdoms of Taokao and Kotao from his floating bubble, his window to the world. All the people he saw in their daily life caught his eye.

"I'm so hungry...for souls!" he said, eyeing the people hungrily. "I'll make this universe mine. But souls taste better with a touch of misery." He chuckled. "I would like to make the take over to my amusement. But first I must eliminate the possible obstacle." His bubble showed the image of a large mountain surrounded by plains. "Oracle Peak."

Nessuro ordered Neil to go to his room and made sure he locked the boy in it. He created a black portal that took him directly to Oracle Peak. It seemed that the Oracle was expecting him, for he and his other magical friends were there, ready to attack him. Creatures of all forms and sizes, magicians, and strong warriors. They all oppose him. Nessuro only laughed mockingly at them. Alone, his power overwhelmed the Oracle and all of his allies. The young boy enjoyed every moment of it as he made all of them his slaves. He send all but one to the forest to await his commands. The one who stayed was Black Magician, who Nessuro send to Prince Umi's palace for a special assignment. Then Nessuro returned to his castle and watched what the Oracle was doing.

"Yes." he said to himself. "One second is all it takes for everything to fall apart."

He watched from his seat as Black Magician snuck into the kitchen inside the palace and dropped poison on one of the plates. Nessuro saw all that happened. He sat back and watched as that very same plate was given to Kotao's king during supper. When the king ate, it didn't take long for the poison to take effect and kill him. Queen Emi shrieked so loud she made baby Cerulean cry from his mother's arms.

"Treason!" she yelled, knocking her chair over when she stood up. "Isamu, you and your wife planned this all along!"

"No, please, they would never do that!" Umi pleaded to her.

"Umi." King Isamu called, silencing him. "Take your brother and leave the room. We'll meet you later."

"Zukoi, take Ryu away from here." Queen Emi said. "Go back to the carriage."

Umi took the baby from his mother's arms and left the dinning room glancing back at Hiroshi. Hiroshi grabbed his brother's hand and left the opposite way, also glancing back worriedly at his friend.

No matter how much Isamu and his wife tried to calm her, Emi wouldn't hear them.

"Isamu, I'll make sure this crime doesn't go unpunished!"

Nessuro smirked from his position. It would soon begin.

And it did. Only a few months later, Queen Emi declared war and attacked Taokao. Nessuro saw it all with glee as the town was attacked first. Houses burned and people died in the chaos. The image on his bubble moved over the sceneary, but stopped when a certain little figure caught his eye. It was none other than Kage with a warrior's armor. He was in front of Koneko's bakery, which was engulfed in flames, ready to go inside.

"Koneko!" he yelled. "Can you hear me!"

Nessuro thought for a moment. "Hmm, I see."

He unlocked Neil from his room and the boy awaited his command. Nessuro showed him the images in the bubble.

"Neil, bring her to me."

"Y-yes, sir."

"And don't try anything stupid. I'm watching you."

Nessuro created a black portal that took Neil directly into the bakery. Nessuro's black magic protected him from the heat of the flames. He easily found the unconscious Koneko and brought her back to his master. When Kage arrived, all he found where the remains and ashes of Koneko's parents and grandmother.

Nessuro chuckled. "I saw her first, Kage."

FLASH

The last of the memories went by faster. Yugi saw as Nessuro kept Koneko as his slave like Neil. When he reached the teen age, even the demon couldn't resist the boy's hormones whenever Koneko was near and did unspeakable things to her. During one of his brother's activities, Neil snuck out of the castle and headed to Oracle Peak. His brother, however, noticed his absense and watched his movements from where he was with Koneko.

Neil reached whatever was left of Oracle Peak and found a lone survivor. Mana! The Oracle's apprentice was the only magical being left alive. He sought her help desperately remembering how everyone with serious trouble went to find the Oracle. Still, he blamed the Oracle for what became of his brother. Mana calmed him as much as she could.

"I've been having this vision ever since your brother was born." she said. "I know it means something."

Mana then recited to Neil her own vision, which she called the Prophecy of Light. She told him of a saviour from another world who would come and save their universe. It also turned out she was a better poem reciter than her master.

"This saviour of light is no ordinary person. He is indeed an earthbound angel. To find someone like that is ultra rare in the mortal realms. He will free us all."

This brought new hope for Neil, who left the mountain in a hurry and reached Umi's palace. He snuck in so no one saw him and found Kage. He told him about Nessuro. Kage was enraged at first that Nessuro had caused the war, but Neil told him about the Prophecy of Light. Kage would spread the word to his other friends. Still, Neil didn't mention about Koneko in Nessuro's grasp. Kage thought she was dead and it would hurt him even more to know what Nessuro had been doing to her.

When Neil returned to the castle, Nessuro was waiting for him. The boy was tortured for leaving without permission.

Nessuro was curious about this earthbound angel Mana talked about. He tried to track the Oracle's apprentice down, but she disappeared from Oracle Peak. The war progressed with the years. Just a year before Yugi's arrival, Nessuro sold Koneko to Max, one of his parents' partners in the gold business. When the saviour arrived at Max's place, Nessuro watched everything from his throne room. He knew about Yugi from the moment he had come.

Then...it was over...

FLASH

When Yugi woke back up, he blinked his eyes rapidly to clear his vision. He was back floating in black space.

"Whoa! What was that all about?"

He glanced up to see Nessuro's soul was no longer sitting in front of him. The soul was now curled up into a ball hugging his knees. The transparent body was inside a bubble of black flames like the one Yugi was in when he had first woken up in the dark place. Nessuro's aqua green eyes stared blankly at Yugi from over his knees.

"Nessuro!" Yugi called.

Nessuro's lips moved, but it wasn't his voice that spoke.

"It's too late."

To Be Continued...

Saiyan Moon Goddess: Cool! It took me only 2 days to write this! Just 2 chapters to go. I might be little bit slower on the next chapter because I have college work. But as soon as that is over, the next chapter should be up next week! Don't miss it!

NEXT TIME: Yugi and Nessuro take a trip to the mountains! No, seriously, they do! It's time for the final battle for the freedom of the alternate universe! And Yugi's friends aren't about to miss it! However, saving an universe will not come cheap. What will Yugi have to do to stop the madness once and for all? What will he have to give in exchange for one life?

NEXT CHAPTER: Chapter 19: A Price to Pay


	21. Chapter 19: A Price to Pay

Saiyan Moon Goddess: Damn! That supposed week turned into a whole month! Sorry about that! Okay, I'm hoping this chapter will be a bit shocking. And review please! Yugi, make sure the motors on the escape shuttles are working good! Hiei, keep guard outside!

Yugi: I'm almost done with them!

Hiei: Hn.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. Neither does the song "Stand my Ground", which belongs to Within Temptation.

ALTERNATE DOUBLES

From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess (18 years old)

From Yu-Gi-Oh!  
1. Nessuro - Yugi (18 years old)  
2. Neil - Yami (16 years old)  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou (19 years old)  
4. Prince Cerulean - Bakura (9 years old)  
5. Prince Zukoi/Hiroshi - Marik (20 years old)  
6. Prince Ryu - Malik (the yami) (10 years old)  
7. Max - Pegasus  
8. Korosu - Bandit Keith  
9. Jono - Jou  
10. Amaya - Anzu  
11. Queen Emi - Mai  
12. King Isamu - Ryou's Father

From Yu Yu Hakusho  
1. Kage - Hiei (18 years old)  
2. Zorro - Kurama  
3. Akira - Botan  
4. Maki - Koenma  
5. Iwa - Kuwabara  
6. Jin - Jin  
7. Yuke - Yuseke  
8. Yasu - Yukina

"talk"

'thoughts'

/mind talk/

Alternate Universe Twist by Saiyan Moon Goddess

Chapter 19: A Price to Pay

Nessuro's lips moved, but it was the voice of the demon that spoke.

"It's too late to save him now, earthbound angel." he said. "His soul will soon be swallowed into hell. For eight years he managed to resist this fate with hope, but now that his world is dead, he has no reason to continue."

"No!" Yugi said. He unsheathed his katana. "I won't let you take him!"

"Fool!"

Inside the bubble of flames, Nessuro fell silent. Instead, another Nessuro appeared in front of the flames wearing a warrior armor and wielding a black blade sword that glowed in the darkness. His eyes were black and all his blonde bangs stood with the rest of his spikes. This was the evil Nessuro Yugi had fought in the physical realm.

"You're the demon..."

The copy of Nessuro chuckled. "A demon god to be precise. I had to descend low to chose a weakling mortal to be my host. Sure, Nessuro had enough misery to feed my hunger until I captured more souls, but he was as pathetic as they come. I mean, come on. He tried to resist my control. All I had to do was say I would make Neil my host. You should've seen his face when I threatened the child's life."

Yugi glared. "You think that's amusing? Get this through your thick head! Nessuro was not weak in resisting you! He was strong, because he had a loved one on the line! When you fight for a loved one, you gain strength! The strength to overcome and defeat your foes!"

The demon ignored his words. "Nessuro is far too gone, little angel. The only way you can save him now is to take his place in hell." He smirked. "Would you die for him? A mortal you don't even know?"

Yugi remembered his promise to Neil; he saw Nessuro and Neil from the memories, little kids laughing and having fun, and Marlene's face full of love. No matter his decision, he knew someone would suffer. He would also be unable to live with himself if he let that poor boy go to hell for being a puppet. Times like these reminded him of all the times his soul was at stake, like Duelist Kingdom or when he dueled Raphael.

"I made a promise I intend to keep!" Yugi said. "No matter what it takes, I'm going to free Nessuro's soul! Even if it costs me my own!"

"You truly are an earthbound angel." said the demon. "My victory over you will be even more glorious than I expected."

Evil Nessuro reached behind his back with his free hand and showed Yugi a silver coin. The coin glowed in his fingers.

"How about we make this interesting?" He tossed the coin up. "With a mountain view!"

The dark space completely changed into another scenery. It looked exactly like the Mountain field card. Yugi and Nessuro's clone stood in the bottom surrounded by vast rocky mountains. The sky above them was dark with gray clouds that roared with thunder and were lit up with lightning bolts, but no rain fell.

"An exciting match such as this deserves a good scenery." The black blade glowed silver. "To the death..."

Yugi had his katana, keeping his guard up and watching his opponent carefully. Then the dark Nessuro turned sideways and pointed toward the mountain peak behind him, above their heads. Yugi couldn't see whatever he was pointing at except for the peak.

"Nessuro is up there." the dark being said. "His soul is already dissolving into hell. And you can't fly in this field, I decided to take that precaution. So either defeat me and save his soul or lose and he disappears. Either way, I win, for you'll end up in hell no matter the outcome."

Yugi waited in case he charged first, but Nessuro didn't the unexpected. He sheathed his black sword and turned to face him.

"What are you doing?" Yugi said. "Aren't we going to fight?"

"Oh, we are, I merely want to test something, oh King of Games."

"Huh?"

"Isn't that what they call you in your universe? I got plenty of useful information from Marlene's soul. She proved useful."

"Demon, what did you do!" Yugi yelled at him.

"Don't misunderstand me, angel." Nessuro chuckle. "After all...it's just a game."

Nessuro waved his hand in the air. A duel disk from Yugi's universe appeared in his left arm, ready for use. The little warrior gasped.

"But how...?"

"Well, what are you waiting for, Yugi?" the copy of Nessuro said.

Yugi looked down at his own left arm and saw an identical duel disk. The one he had back home. And there was deck on it too. Yugi sheathed his katana and looked up at the demon suspiciously. He took out the deck and looked at the cards carefully. In the mist, he noticed the god cards were missing from his deck, as well as a few others.

"It's my deck, but..." he started. 'Has Marlene been messing with my deck again? I told her to leave it alone!'

"Yes, I only left behind those god cards of yours. You won't be needing them, won't you?"

"What about you?" Yugi said. "You're not from my dimension, so you know nothing of Duel Monsters."

"The blonde girl, remember?" Nessuro said. "I took what I needed from her, I even borrowed her deck."

Yugi was appalled. 'Marlene's deck!' But then something came to his mind and he said out loud. "Wait, if you read Marlene's memories and you got her deck, you know she's never defeated me in a duel before!"

"That's right, but she has practiced for years. Without your god cards, she came close to defeating you a few times." Nessuro looked as confident as Yami. "What she didn't accomplish, I will."

GAME START

Yugi and Nessuro drew out five cards each. This was it, the final battle for the universe would we decided in this duel. There was much at stake.

Nessuro: 8000  
Yugi: 8000

"I'll start." the demon said, drawing a card. "I'll just set a card down, and a monster in defense mode." Two cards appeared before him facedown.

"Then it's my turn." Yugi said and drew a card. "I summon Gazelle, King of Mystical Beast (ATK/1500 DEF/1200) in attack mode!" The Gazelle appears before Yugi, growling at Nessuro. "And I attack your defense monster!" Gazelle leaped at the face down card and hit it card. The card revealed itself as Maha Vailo (DEF/1400 ATK/1550), and burst into particles before  
vanishing. "And to end this, I'll set two cards facedown."

Nessuro drew a card. "I'll activate Swords of Revealing Light!" Swords of light stabbed themselves around Yugi. "And I summon Dunames Dark Witch (ATK/1800 DEF/1050) in attack mode. With her, I attack your Gazelle!"

"Not so fast, demon!" Yugi said, uncovering one of his facedown cards. "I'll activate my Mirror Force trap!" The dark witch's attack was shot back at her and she was destroyed.

Nessuro frowned, but said: "I end my turn."

Yugi drew a card. "I activate Graceful Charity! I can draw three cards from my deck, then discard two of my choice from my hand." Yugi drew three cards and discarded two. After putting Graceful Charity to the graveyard, he activated another magic card. "And I'll activate a second Graceful Charity."

Again, Yugi drew three and discarded two. "Lastly, I place a monster in defense mode."

"My move!" Nessuro drew a card. "I'll place a monster in defense mode as well. With that I'm done."

The earthbound angel drew a card. "Very well. Then I'll use Monster Reborn! With it, I bring back my Summoned Skull (ATK/2500 DEF/1200) from the graveyard. Since Swords of Revealing Light won't allow me to attack, I'll place a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"It's my turn." Nessuro drew a card. He set his card down. "I activate Raigeki!" The skies flashed with lightning, small sparks coming from the clouds. "I'll destroy both your monsters."

"No, demon." Yugi said, smiling. "You forgot my other facedown card."

"It can't be..."

"Yes, it's a trap card!" Yugi flipped over his facedown card.

"Anti-Raigeki!" The trap card threw Raigeki's force back at Nessuro's defense monster and destroyed it.

"I'm not done yet." Nessuro set down a magic card. "I use Change of Heart to control your Summoned Skull! It'll only be for one turn, but it's enough damage your life points." Summoned Skull changed from Yugi's field to Nessuro's. "Summoned Skull, destroy his Gazelle!"

"Oh no!" Yugi's Gazelle was hit by the skull's attack and was blown to bits.

Nessuro: 8000  
Yugi: 7000

"Your turn now, Yugi." With his turn done, Summoned Skull returned to Yugi's field.

Yugi drew a card. "I sacrifice my two defense monsters to summon Black Magician (ATK/2500 DEF/2100)!" Black Magician appeared beside Summoned Skull. "I end my turn." The Swords of Revealing Light disappeared from around the small warrior as the magic card expired.

Nessuro drew a card. "Ah, if I'm not mistaken you might be familiar with this strategy."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I activate Gravekeeper's Servant." Nessuro set the magic card down. "Every time you attack you'll lose a card from your deck to the graveyard." He set down another card. "And I summon Cyber Stein (ATK/700 DEF/500) in attack mode!"

Yugi's eyes went wide as he saw the monster appear. "Cyber Stein! But that means..."

"Yes, I activate Cyber Stein's effect!" Nessuro said. "It allows me to summon a fusion monster directly to the field."

"But it costs you 5000 life points!"

"Yes, I agree it is a risky yet useful technique. It's why that blonde girl barely uses it." Nessuro smirked. "More than useful, since you know Marlene doesn't carry any fusion monsters, except for one." Nessuro set a card down, satisfied by Yugi's horrified look. "Recognize this little monster, Yugi? The Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (ATK/4500 DEF/3800)!"

Nessuro: 3000  
Yugi: 7000

The giant three-headed white dragon appeared on Nessuro's field beside Cyber Stein, each head roaring loudly at little Yugi.

"And because we're in a mountain field, my dragon's attack points rise by 200." Nessuro said. "So his attack points are 4700! Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (ATK/4700 DEF/4000), destroy his Black Magician!"

"No!" Yugi shielded his eyes from the brightness of the dragon's attack and his magician was gone.

Nessuro: 3000  
Yugi: 4800

"Let's see how you will handle this."

Yugi frowned in determination. "No matter what, I won't lose to you!" He drew a card. 'Funny, even at a time like this it comes to my mind. That song Marlene-chan played for me whenever we sparred with swords in the backyard.' He frowned sadly at the thought of his girlfriend, who he might never see again. 'Marlene, please give me strength.' He remembered the song as if it  
played in his mind. It brought newfound confidence even with the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon standing tall against him.

I Can See  
When You Stay Low Nothing Happens  
Does It Feel Right?

"I set a monster in defense mode." Yugi said. "Summoned Skull, destroy Cyber Stein!" Cyber Stein was destroyed by the skull's lightning attack.

Nessuro: 1200  
Yugi: 4800

Late At Night  
Things I Thought I'd Put Behind Me  
Haunt My Mind

Nessuro drew a card. "You're done for, Yugi." He set down a card. "I summon Harpie's Brother (ATK/1800 DEF/600)! The mountain field also raises his attack points to 200!" Harpie's Brother (ATK/2000 DEF/800). "Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, destroy the Summoned Skull!" In a triple blast, the skull was burned to nothingness.

Nessuro: 1200  
Yugi: 2600

I Just Know There's No Escape Now  
Once It Sets It's Eyes On You  
But I Wont Run  
Have To Stare It In The Eyes

"Harpie's Brother, attack his defense monster!" Harpie's Brother leaped for an aerial attack, and the defense monster was revealed.

"You just destroyed my Cyber Jar (DEF/900 ATK/900), demon!" Yugi said.

"What!"

Stand My Ground  
I Won't Give In  
No More Denying  
I've Gotta Face It

Cyber Jar vanished. "And because of Cyber Jar's effect, you lose your monsters!" Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon and Harpie's Brother were both destroyed. "And we each draw 5 cards from our decks, and show them to each other."

That they did. Yugi got another Black Magician (ATK/2500 DEF/2100) card, White Hole, Beta the Magnet Warrior (ATK/1700 DEF/1600), Witch of the Black Forest (ATK/1100 DEF/1200), and Valkyrion the Magna Warrior (ATK/3500 DEF/3850). Beta and the Witch were placed in defense mode. Nessuro got Vorse Raider (ATK/1900 DEF/1200), La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp (ATK/1800 DEF/1000), Negate Attack, Blue Eyes White Dragon (ATK/3000 DEF/2500), and Restructer Revolution. La Jinn and Vorse Raider were placed in attack mode.

Won't Close My Eyes And Hide The Truth Inside  
If I Don't Make It, Someone Else Will  
Stand My Ground

"I still get the upper hand." Nessuro said. "La Jinn, destroy his Witch of the Black Forest!"

Once the witch disappeared, Yugi pulled out his entire deck. "With the witch's effect, I can draw one monsters with a defense of 1500 or less to my hand. And I chose my Summoned Skull (ATK/2500 DEF/1200)." Yugi shuffled his deck and put it back on the duel disk.

It's All Around  
Getting Stronger, Coming Closer Into My World

"Vorse Raider, destroy the magnet warrior!" Beta is destroyed Yugi's life points remain unaffected. "I place one card facedown. But I still haven't touched your life points, so I activate Restructer Revolution so you lose 200 life points for each card on your hand!"

Nessuro: 1200  
Yugi: 1400

I Can Feel That It's Time For Me To Face It  
Can I Take It?

Yugi drew a card. "My turn!" Yugi set one card down. "I activate Raigeki! Your Vorse Raider and Genie are destroyed!" Nessuro is left defenseless. "And I also set Swords of Revealing Light!" The swords stab themselves around Nessuro. "With that I end my turn." Though This Might Just Be The Ending  
Of The Life I Held So Dear  
But I Won't Run  
There's No Turning Back From Here

Nessuro drew a card. "I set down my Harpie's Feather Duster, so your swords of lights can no longer restrain me." The feather duster destroys Yugi's magic card and the swords disappear. "But you're lucky I have no monsters in my hand to attack you. So I pass my turn."

Yugi drew a card, and frowned. 'No monster. This is bad.' "I'll pass as well."

Stand My Ground  
I Won't Give In  
No More Denying  
I've Gotta Face It

This surprised Nessuro, then he smiled evilly. "Very well. My move then." He drew a card. "Ah, it seems we're in same terms. I pass my turn again."

Yugi was sweat dropped. 'Must be one of those duels...' He drew a card. 'Rats, no monster or magic card I can use against him. "I place this card facedown. Your turn."

Won't Close My Eyes And Hide The Truth Inside  
If I Don't Make It, Someone Else Will  
Stand My Ground

It actually went on just like that. For the next three turns, both the earthbound angel and the demon drew either magic cards, traps, or monsters that needed tribute. They were both monsterless in their fields, so they had no tribute to give. It seemed hopeless, until Yugi finally drew a worthwhile one.

All I Know For Sure Is That I'm Trying  
I Will Always Stand My Ground

"Ah, finally! I place Witch of the Black Forest (ATK/1100 DEF/1200) in attack mode!" The witch appeared before Yugi. "And I attack your life points directly!"

"Not if I activate my facedown card, Negate Attack!" The Witch's attack was swallowed into the vortex.

Nessuro drew a card. "Now it's my turn. And activate my magic card, Fissure."

Stand My Ground  
I Won't Give In, (I Won't Give In)  
I Won't Give Up, (I Won't Give Up)  
No More Denying (Ahh-hhhh)  
I've Gotta Face It

"I reveal my trap card, Magic Jammer! Your Fissure will not touch my monster!" Yugi discards one card and his witch is safe. Nessuro growled.

Yugi drew a card. "It's over demon! Witch of the Black Forest, attack him directly!"

Won't Close My Eyes And Hide The Truth Inside  
If I Don't Make It, Someone Else Will

Nessuro: 100  
Yugi: 1800

Nessuro drew a card, glaring at Yugi. To his horror, he drew another monster with five stars. He couldn't summon it.

"No...I'm defenseless."

Stand My Ground  
I Won't Give In  
No More Denying  
I've Gotta Face It

"I see you can't do anything." Yugi drew a card. "So this duel is about to end. Witch of Black Forest, attack him again!"

"Nooo!"

Won't Close My Eyes And Hide The Truth Inside  
If I Don't Make It, Someone Else Will  
Stand My Ground

Nessuro: 0  
Yugi: 1800

GAME OVER

Once the demon's life points reached zero, Witch of the Black Forest vanished from the field. Yugi and Nessuro's duel disks disappeared in thin air. The demon lowered his head and his eyes were covered in shadow. He chuckled. The little warrior raised an eyebrow at that. He had just lost. What was he so happy about?

"Well, Yugi, you won the duel, but not the war." The demon raised his head and his black eyes bored into Yugi's amethyst ones. "So what if you won? You broke free from a black flame bubble, but it's not as easy to burst them from the outside. I'll deplete your soul energy. And even if you save Nessuro, I still hold all the other souls from this dimension. Who will free them? They're mine forever."

"I had a feeling you'd say something like that." Yugi said and brought up a golden coin. "That's why I came prepared!"

"A coin?" Nessuro laughed out loud this time. "Like that will do you any good. There is no monster or magic you can use against me."

"Not directly against you. I'm not looking to attack you. Thanks to Nessuro's memories, I confirmed you became all powerful the more souls you consumed." The earthbound angel tossed the coin into the air. "That's why I call upon...Soul Release!"

The golden coin glowed and transformed into the magic card, Soul Release. The mountain field around them cracked and broke like glass until they were back floating in black space. The blue maiden flew around Yugi, who smiled at her, then floated between him and the evil Nessuro.

"I believe Soul Release doesn't have the magic to attack you." said Yugi. "I will simply use its abilities to free all the souls you captured."

Soul Release stretched out her arms wide and her magic spread everywhere. The demon grunted when the wave of magic hit him straight on, and glared at Yugi. He felt as it pulsed through him and suddenly held his head, hissing in pain. The small warrior frowned at this.

"You can hear them, can't you? The souls...their cries of pain...their pleas for freedom! Let them free!"

The demon growled. "They are mine, forever!"

His words were in vain as all around them appeared the lost souls. The demon gasped in disbelief. The souls Yugi had encountered before didn't wander aimlessly anymore. Instead their attention was focused on the glowing bluemaiden. Her magic drew them to her.

"Soul Release!" the earthbound angel called. "Free the souls from the darkness that binds and controls them!"

The blue maiden sent yet another wave of blue magic. It engulfed everyone except Yugi and the fake Nessuro. Little by little, the souls vanished. The demon could only stare in horror. As the magic took effect he was powerless to stop it. With each soul he lost, he got weaker and weaker.

"My souls! My precious souls!"

He reached out an arm as if trying to hold on to them, but it was too late. They were gone from his binding; Soul Release disappeared once her job was done. Black smoke rose from the demon's arm. The limb began to disintegrate slowly.

"My body...!" The fake Nessuro touched his face. Black smoke came out from his cheeks and neck and they disintegrated as well. His body was disappearing.

"With the lack of souls, you don't even have enough power to sustain that fake body of yours." Yugi said. "So return to where you came from. Leave this world forever and never disturb its peace again!"

Despite the fact that he was disappearing, the demon smiled. "You may have won Yugi, but you're too late to save yourself." He held his only hand, as the other was already gone, over his disintegrating eye. His body disappeared until there was only his head and left hand. "The door to hell will soon open. Not even the earthbound angel will be able to escape its wrath."

With that, the demon was completely gone. Yugi breathed in relief, and stopped when he saw the black flame bubble just behind where the demon once stood. The real Nessuro was still trapped inside. The bubble must have prevented Soul Release's magic to reach him. Yugi approached it. Nessuro's body had desintegrated as well. His legs and forearms were gone. Only the upper half of his body remained. He reached out and touched the bubble, but burned himself in the process."OW!" The little warrior shook his hand to cool it. "Okay, bad idea."

Yugi held his hands a few inches from the bubble's surface and concentrated hard. His hands glowed white as he let his power flow through them. He hit the bubble hard, yet try as he might it wouldn't pop. The demon had been right in saying it was harder to break it from the outside. The angel refused to give up and used all the power he had left, in this case he has forced to use his soul energy. It weakened him, but he kept up.

When things looked hopeless, the bubble finally released Nessuro. Yugi had little energy left. He took the floating half soul into his arms and held him. Large aqua green eyes opened and stared at his face looking lost.

"It's...you..." he said softly. His body became whole again.

Yugi smiled at him. "You're free now. I kept my word." The strain of the loss of energy got to him and he winced. "I...might...just have...enough energy...to..."

Yugi closed his eyes and concentrated again. He glowed white and engulfed Nessuro in his light. His alternate double smiled at him and managed a "thank you" before he vanished. Yugi had used the last of his soul energy to transport Nessuro out of the darkness. He was all alone now, and he had no power left to leave the darkness. The savior of light went limp and floated in the black space.

"It's done..." he whispered, and closed his eyes tired.

8888888888

Yugi's Universe...

"What's going on?" Shizuka said. "Is Yugi in trouble?"

The whole group glanced at Yami. The pharaoh just stared at the TV with haunted red eyes. Out of curiosity, Ryou reached out with the TV remote and changed the channel. The others protested, except Yami who looked sheet pale. They shut up when they saw the scene changing back to Nessuro's castle. The bodies were stirring.

8888888888

In Nessuro's throne room, the bodies of Neil, Koneko, and Kage stirred from where they lay. As their souls were free from the demon's control, they returned to their rightful places.

"Ow, my back." Koneko said rubbing her back where the demon had kicked her.

Kage shook his head to clear it and looked up at the sound of her voice.

"Koneko!" Kage ran to her side and helped her up. "Where are we?"

"I don't know." she replied. "All I remember is falling around twelve stories high."

Neil sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He felt like he had slept for days yet got no rest. Yami's look-alike saw he wasn't with the Oracle's apprentice in black space anymore. He was back in the throne room. He gasped, remembering when Yugi left him promising to bring his brother back.

"Oniisan..."

He searched the room for Nessuro. Said boy's body sat limply in his throne with his head down. He suddenly started convulsing and gasping for air. He fell from the chair. Yugi lay some feet from him, completely motionless as if sleeping with his eyes open. Neil quickly ran to Nessuro's body and held him tightly, trying to stop his shaking.

"Oniisan, wake up! Please answer me!" The boy was close to crying.

Koneko and Kage heard Neil and saw him trying to calm the struggling Nessuro. The pair went over to their friend.

"Neil!"

Neil looked desperate, his face was tearstained as he looked up at the two. "Something's wrong with him! Help me!"

Kage and Koneko hesitated at first, then helped Yami's look-alike to hold his brother down. Nessuro convulsed on Neil's arms, his eyes opening halfway to show the white of his eyes. They moved rapidly as he trembled violently. His mouth opened wider. For a few seconds, no sound came until a gargled scream emitted through his lips. The body went limp, gasping for breath.

"Nessuro?" Neil called him.

On closer look, they noticed Nessuro's appearance had changed. His golden bangs fell from the rest of his blue and black spikes, hanging loosely over his face; his sharp eyes softened and widened, his fangs and sharp nails shortened, and his body got shorter as well. They boy's eyes opened again tiredly, only this time he revealed large aqua green gems. He could pass  
right off as Yugi's twin!

"N-Neil..."

Neil smiled. This time he cried in joy. "Oniisan! You're alive!" He hugged the shorter young man.

Nessuro hugged back, tears forming. "I'm sorry."

Seeing that Nessuro was alright, Koneko turned her attention to Yugi. She went over to his body and propped him up in her arms. His sword still lay beside him. The little warrior's eyes had no light in them; it scared her. So she shook him gently to try and wake him.

"Yugi?" He didn't even stir. She checked his pulse, and gasped horrified. "YUGI!"

Kage immediately ran to Koneko's side while Neil helped his brother up. Nessuro's arm rested around Neil's neck and they carefully made they way over to the others. The blonde girl was struggling with her own tears, shaking Yugi and talking to him while he wouldn't respond to her pleas.

"What's wrong?" Kage asked her.

"He's not breathing!" Koneko cried. "I can't feel a pulse!"

Kage checked for a pulse. He looked grim. "Oh no..."

"Kage, it can't be! He's gone?" Neil shouted. He had been very grateful to Yugi for bringing his only family back to him. And he had actually traded his life for it? Nessuro said nothing but froze where he was, staring at the earthbound angel with wide eyes.

"He's gone." Hiei's alternate double reached carefully with his hand and gently closed Yugi's dull purple eyes. Then he placed a hand on Koneko's shoulder. "He's gone, Koneko-chan."

"NO!" Koneko cried. "He can't be gone!" She tried to fight them, but the tears leaked down her cheeks.

Nessuro stared at the scene. His former friends and brother grieved for the young man from the alternate dimension who came to save them all. He had done his purpose, he fulfilled the prophecy, but he lost his soul to hell in order to do it. He was willing to do it. Nessuro wished the floor opened up and swallowed him whole. He couldn't even look at his friends' faces, all the memories from his deeds for the past 8 years played in his head.

"It's all my fault..." he whispered to himself.

To Be Continued...

Note: I was going to make Yugi's final battle a sword match but then I thought you'd seen enough sword fighting in this fic and were probably tired of them by now. This was my first duel and I don't know Yugi's deck that well. So this duel was based on the Game Boy game Yugioh! Eternal Duelist Soul. Nessuro's deck was based on my deck while Yugi's was based on Yami  
Yugi's.

Yugi: Wait, you killed me?

Saiyan Moon Goddess: That's a harsh way of saying it, but yes. I'm so sorry/bear hugs Yugi/

Yami: Is that an angry mob I hear?

Yugi fangirls/off view/ Get SMG!

Hiei/off view/ Oh, shit!

Saiyan Moon Goddess: And that's our cue! Yami, be a dear and rescue Hiei-kun. He can't hold them off for too long. Reviewers, remember, REVIEW! To the escape pods!


	22. Chapter 20: Home Sweet Universe

Saiyan Moon Goddess: I can't believe it! The last chapter! It's hard for me to finish a story. It's a curse, I swear!

Yami: Excuses, excuses...

Saiyan Moon Goddess/stuffs a chocolate muffin on Yami's mouth/ Here, chew on that and be quiet like a good boy. On with the story!

ALTERNATE DOUBLES

From Saiyan Moon Goddess (OC/s)  
1. Koneko - Marlene/Saiyan Moon Goddess (18 years old)

From Yu-Gi-Oh!  
1. Nessuro - Yugi (18 years old)  
2. Neil - Yami (16 years old)  
3. Prince Umi - Ryou (19 years old)  
4. Prince Cerulean - Bakura (9 years old)  
5. Prince Zukoi/Hiroshi - Marik (20 years old)  
6. Prince Ryu - Malik (the yami) (10 years old)  
7. Max - Pegasus  
8. Korosu - Bandit Keith  
9. Jono - Jou  
10. Amaya - Anzu  
11. Queen Emi - Mai  
12. King Isamu - Ryou's Father

From Yu Yu Hakusho  
1. Kage - Hiei (18 years old)  
2. Zorro - Kurama  
3. Akira - Botan  
4. Maki - Koenma  
5. Iwa - Kuwabara  
6. Jin - Jin  
7. Yuke - Yuseke  
8. Yasu - Yukina

"talk"

'thoughts'

/mind talk/

-Alternate Universe Twist by Saiyan Moon Goddess-

-Chapter 20: Home Sweet Universe-

The threat was gone, the danger was over, and their universe was safe. For all that, a great sacrifice had to be made. The earthbound angel from the alternate universe gave up his soul to the depths of hell, and he did it all for them. All that was left do now was mourn for their saviour, then pick up the broken pieces of their world and rebuild it.

Koneko insisted in carrying Yugi's cold body on her back. Kage put away Yugi's sword back in the sheath, and he and Neil helped the drained Nessuro as they made their way out of the room. The castle only brought back painful memories they wanted to forget. But they wouldn't leave Yugi's body there to rot; they would give the earthbound angel who saved them all a proper burial, they would make sure he would be remembered. The atmosphere around the four was grim and gloomy. As the group walked down the dark hall, Nessuro glanced around utterly lost in his surroundings.

"I've been out for so long, I don't recognize my own home..." He looked down, tears forming in his eyes again. "I caused so much grief and cost the life of our saviour. I understand if you can't forgive me."

Neil smiled. "I already did."

"How can you?" said Yugi's alternate double. "Out of everyone else, you should hate me the most, Neil. I betrayed you and the others."

"Well, I don' care what you or anyone else says." Neil said. "I feel as though my oniisan came back from the dead." He looked down at the elder sibling and tightened his hold slightly as a sign of comfort. "I had lost you, but the earthbound angel gave us a second chance. I'm eternally grateful and I will not let his sacrifice be in vain, oniisan."

Koneko and Kage watched the two. They didn't know Nessuro anymore. In fact, they didn't know each other anymore either. They had been separated for eight years, meeting again after so much destruction to their nations and only creating more confusion. But Neil's smile revived memories of long ago; Koneko and Kage saw the grinning little boy that brought them all together with his childish mischiefs, he who was considered the little brother of the whole group for being the youngest. The images of those happy times in childhood made the couple feel at ease. The blonde girl glanced at Yugi's face resting on her shoulder. Tears threatened to fall again but she held them back, he looked so peaceful...

That's when the whole place began shaking.

"Now what!" Kage yelled alarmed.

"Now that the demon is gone, what remains of his evil darkness is being cleansed from the castle." Nessuro said. So the evil was going away...Why did he look so worried then?

"Look!" Koneko shouted.

All over the walls, the floor, and the ceiling, monsters appeared in every corner. Their forms were transparent, surrounded by black smoke and they moaned or shrieked.. The figures kept appearing and disappearing, some coming closer to the group as if unconsciously.

"Let's get out of here!" Koneko said.

The blonde ran ahead down the hall with the boys following her. Fortunately, the monsters went through them harmlessly if they came in contact, but it was hard to keep pace when the floor shook so violently. They were nearly knocked off their feet. The four looked for a way out. It wasn't long before they reached a door.

"Into that room!" Nessuro called. "Hurry!"

Koneko, Kage, Nessuro, and Neil went inside. It was small and with few furniture, and it had a big barred window. Kage took out his katana.

"Stand back!"

Kage swiftly cut through the bars. As they fell apart, he glanced out the window.

"We're over ten stories high!" he said.

"We can't jump!" Neil said. "It'll kill us!"

"We don't have a choice, Neil." Kage said. "I'll break our falls as much as I can. Now go!"

8888888888

Yugi's soul was still floating in empty space, all his strength drained. He didn't have enough energy to escape the darkness. The saviour of light could only await his fate.

"I guess...this is it." he whispered weakly to himself. "I'll stay trapped in here forever...? Marlene, please forgive me."

Cold wind blew, making him shiver. A chill ran up his spine. The wind blew harder, pushing him back. He looked behind him but saw nothing. Still he heard the vacuum-like sound; he felt the dark energy. A black hole was forming, and it was sucking him inside. Yugi didn't move as the vortex drew him to itself, he couldn't fight it. This was it, the gateway to hell. He dreaded whatever was on the other side. He would never see his friends and family again.

'This is path I chose.' he thought, then said out loud sadly. "Goodbye, everyone..." He let the black hole take him.

"Yugi!"

"Huh?"

Yugi looked up, his feet nearly touching the hole, and gasped. A small glowing light appeared out of nowhere and floated toward him rapidly. The light then took form. It was Marlene's soul who smiled at him. He looked at her in shock.

"Marlene! What are you doing! Get out of here!"

Marlene ignored his warning and floated nearer to him. The earthbound angel panicked. If she got too close, the black hole would trap her soul as well and sent her to hell. But the blonde didn't mind the vortex and stretched out a hand to him. By instinct he did the same and grabbed hers. She chuckled.

"Did you really think I would let my little desert prince go that easily?" Marlene said. "I thought you knew me better than that."

"Marlene...you..." Yugi didn't even know what to say.

"I'll lent you some of my soul energy. You'll be able to leave."

"You can't!" Yugi protested. "You'll stay trapped here!"

"No, I won't. Trust me."

"Marlene, you must understand that I spent too much time here. My body may be dead by the time I return."

The blonde's smile didn't falter, instead she winked at him. "I believe in you."

Both souls glowed white as Marlene transfered to Yugi some of her soul energy. When she was done, she let go of his hand and began to fade away.

"I believe in you, my desert prince."

Once she's gone, Yugi felt powerful with renewed strength. The grip of the black hole weakened on him, allowing him to break free. He quickly flew away from the vortex and faded away into the black space. He hoped he wasn't too late.

8888888888

Koneko went first. She shifted Yugi's body from her back, into her arms, and leaped out the window. Nessuro and Neil jumped together, and Kage followed last. They all yelled in surprised as they fell from high while the castle still shook. The castle was surrounded by a dark barrier, which was disintegrating. Black ghouls, shadows, and monsters came out through wall and the roof, making it look like a haunted mansion.

Kage used his telekinesis to make their fall slower and softer. As they floated down, pieces of debris fell from the walls and roof. One of the smaller pieces hit Koneko on her back. She yelped in pain and accidentally let go Yugi.

"Nooo!" she yelled, trying to grab hold of him again, but failed.

Kage tried to catch him, but his mind was locked on the others. To get Yugi he would have to release his hold on the others, so he watched helplessly as the body fell and disappeared into the forest bellow.

As the four landed, they had no time to look where Yugi's body was. They ran away from the castle as quickly and far as possible. Neil grabbed Nessuro's hand and led him to catch up with Koneko and Kage. They ran into the forest; fortunately the earthquake didn't reach that far. Koneko search through the trees frankly for Yugi. But she couldn't find the body anywhere.

"No! He must've fell around here...somewhere!"

"Koneko, calm down." Kage said. "We'll help you find him."

Koneko, Kage, Nessuro, and Neil tried ignoring the seemingly collapsing castle as there was no more apparent danger to them. A light shone far ahead of them, and they followed it out of curiosity. It guided them to a small clearing. They all gasped in amazement at the sight that welcomed them. Black Magician Girl was glowing in mid air. In her arms was Yugi, who she held lovingly.

"The Oracle!" Neil yelled.

They approached Black Magician Girl and she smiled at them.

"Do not worry." she said. "Our hero merely sleeps."

The Oracle's apprentice smiled at Yugi as she floated down and stood on the ground. The glow died away and Yugi's body stirred. The others were shocked and awaited in anxious silence as Yugi's eyes opened slowly. He smiled.

"Hi guys." he said. "Sorry to make you wait."

Kage, Koneko, and Neil smiled back at him. Koneko held back tears of happiness. "Yugi..." As soon as Black Magician Girl put him down, the trio tackled little Yugi into a crushing hug. They were so glad he was alive they didn't ask him how it was possible for him to return to life. The blonde oracle smiled at the scene, then glanced at the castle over the trees.

"Look, everyone!" she called.

The others looked up and saw the castle had changed. Instead of a charcoal black building, there stood a cream and gold little palace. Though it was around half the size of the Umi's palace, it stood magnificent.

"Wow!" Yugi exclaimed. "How do you live in such a place?"

"Our mother and father owned half the gold mines in our country." Neil said. "They always told me they would hand control over to me when I grew older." He turned to his older brother. "But I believe that inheritance is oniisan's by birth."

"No, Neil." Nessuro showed a small smile. "It's ours."

The brothers hugged. When they broke apart Neil turned to Yugi.

"Yugi-sama, words can't express my immense gratitude for you returning my oniisan safely to me."

"It's alright." Yugi said.

Nessuro stood before Yugi. Yugi's alternate double stood a good three inches over the small warrior, with black and blue spikes, blonde bangs, his aqua green eyes the same shape, and his hair a bit longer and tied in a low pony tail that reached half his back. Yugi was back to his normal self as well, only he had grown slightly.

"I am also eternally grateful to you, saviour of light." Nessuro said. "And I feel terrible for everything I've done. I'll do whatever it takes to pay for my deeds."

"You said you two were owners of the gold mines, Nessuro?" Yugi said. "Here's a thought. You can help rebuild every house destroyed in the war. Give home to the homeless."

"Thank you, Yugi-sama! I'll see to it immediately."

Yugi turned to Black Magician Girl. "Now that the demon is gone, what about your friends?"

The Oracle's apprentice looked down sadly. "It was too late. The demon made sure they were dead for good and enslaved their souls." She stared at Yugi straight in the eyes. "But their spirits are free now. I thank you for it. I am now the one and only magical being in this world." She smiled despite her tears forming. "It may be better this way. After I'm gone, no more prophecies will plague this dimension."

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Yugi-sama." the blonde Oracle said. "My master would be proud of me."

"The demon is gone, the universe is safe..." Koneko said. "We better head back to Taokao."

"But, what about me?" said Yugi "I need to find a way to get back to my dimension."

Nessuro spoke up. "I'm sorry, Yugi-sama. Now that the demon's gone I no longer have his power or his knowledge to travel to other dimensions."

"Then...I'm stuck here?"

"I'm sorry." Nessuro said.

Yugi looked down, feeling very dejected. "My friends, my family...I'll never see them again."

The alternate doubles felt bad seeing their saviour so down and tried to cheer him up the best they could.

"We know your loved ones can never be replaced, but you're welcomed to live here with us." Neil said.

"You can make this dimension your new home, until we find a way to return you to yours." Kage said.

"We owe you so much, we'll do whatever it takes." Koneko said.

Yugi smiled slightly at their attempts. "Thank you everyone, but... I can't call this place home without Marlene-chan."

"Who?" asked Koneko.

"Oh, that's right. I didn't tell you about her. Well, she's my girlfriend back home." Yugi glanced at Koneko quickly before looking away again. "Last time I saw her was in black space. Her soul was there, but she disappeared. I hope she's alright."

"Don't worry, Yugi-sama, we'll find a way to get you home." Black Magician Girl said. "But for now, we must re-group."

"Agreed."

Black Magician Girl waved her magic staff and it glowed. "I'll teleport us." With her magic, they all disappeared.

They reappeared back in Taokao's palace, inside the throne room. The place was empty until Prince Umi and Zorro rushed in from one door at the back of the room. Prince Cerulean, Yuke, Jin, and Jono came in from the entrance. It was an awkward silence that only lasted a second as people stared at one another. Koneko was the one to break it.

"By the looks of it, it seems everything's back to normal."

In an instant everyone unfroze.

"Cerulean!"

"Oniisan!" Prince Umi and Cerulean ran to each other. The elder brother picked up the smaller boy and held him close.

"Kage!" Zorro said. "What happened?"

"Otousan!" Kage went to his adoptive father and hugged him as well. "The nightmare is over."

Everyone was happy, giving each other kisses and hugs. Neil hugged Nessuro, who smiled in return. Kage turned to Koneko and hugged her, then shocked her by kissing her in the lips. Yugi watched them all from his position. The happy faces made him smile.

"A happy reunion." he said to himself. But then he sighed sadly, thinking. 'They all have someone to hold and love, except for me. The one I want to hold right now is still back home.'

Koneko noticed how sad Yugi looked and wrapped him in a warm embrace too. Kage, Neil, Nessuro, even Cerulean and Umi joined in. Yugi enjoyed the gesture, he let out a small laugh.

"Thank you, all of you. I feel a little better now."

"It is not over yet." said a distant voice.

Everyone turned to the large entrance of the throne room as it opened again. This time, Prince Hiroshi, Prince Ryu, Yasu, and Amaya came in. Umi approached them keeping a safe distance, and Cerulean was quickly by his side. Zorro stood by Umi and Kage took his place beside Cerulean. Hiroshi smiled.

"Hello, old friend." he said, referring to Umi.

"Prince Hiroshi." Umi acknowledged him with a slight bow.

At the title, Hiroshi frowned sadly. "Not anymore. I am afraid, my mother, the queen, has passed away. As the heir to the throne of the kingdom, I claim my rights to the crown. I am the new king of Kotao."

Zorro looked surprised at that statement. Hiroshi's words suddenly reminded him of something and haired man turned the blue-haired prince, frowning.

"Oh, Umi-sama, King Isamu..." he said. But Umi raised his hand slightly, not looking at him, and he said no more.

"It is alright, Zorro." Umi said. And he addressed Hiroshi. "My father is gone too, Hiroshi-sama. I also claim my rights to the crown as they are my heritage. I am the new king of Taokao."

"Our kingdoms have been in war for 8 years." Hiroshi continued. "As the new king of Taokao, the country that originally declared war, I ask for us to join and once again bring peace to our people."

Yugi looked between the two, and glanced at the blonde king. "You mean it? True peace?"

Hiroshi nodded. "I refuse to continue this meaningless dispute. I do not even remember why it started in the first place."

Nessuro looked down, feeling bad at remembering what happened because of him. This went by unnoticed except for Yugi and Koneko.

"Perhaps it is best we don't think about that." Umi said. "Let us forget this fight ever happened and start over."

"He's right." Yugi spoke up. "Now, let's just make a fresh start."

Nessuro was surprised by his words and spoke quietly to his alternate double. "Yugi-sama...you won't tell them about..."

Yugi smiled at him secretly. "No."

Koneko placed a hand on his shoulder. "The past is the past, we can't change it." she whispered to him.

The new kings didn't hear them and continued about with their terms to bring peace to their kingdoms. Each one discussed what they would do to repair their kingdoms and the lives destroyed by the war.

"We will make a peace treaty and reconstruct every home destroyed." the king of Kotao said. "The hungry we will feed, the hurt we will comfort. Everyone shall be compensated for all the pain this fight caused them."

"Hiroshi-sama, I accept your terms." the king of Taokao said the two shook hands. "We will make this official as soon as possible."

"Please, call me Hiroshi."

"Friends?"

"Always." The kings hugged.

"Two divided kingdoms come together." Yugi said. "It's good it is so."

Umi and Hiroshi separated and turned to Yugi. All attention was on the little warrior and it made him uncomfortable.

"And we have you to thank, Yugi Mutou." said Umi.

"Because to you, our kingdoms have joined again, as it should be." said Hiroshi.

"You brought my brother back to me." Neil said.

"You brought us back together." Kage said, holding Koneko's hand.

"You repaired our broken friendship." Nessuro said.

"You saved everyone's souls from hell, even though you weren't inclined to intervene." Koneko said.

Yugi blushed at all the praise given to him, but smiled nonetheless. They all gathered around him.

"How about we throw a huge feast for our hero here?" Jou's alternate double suggested.

"That is an excellent idea." said Umi.

"And to add more to an excellent idea, let us do it where it all took place." said Hiroshi.

The warriors spent the night over at the palace, resting both body and nerves after all the harsh battles they had gone through. Black Magician Girl disappeared during the dark hours without so much as a word.

The next day, with Hiroshi and Umi planning together, a large feast took place outside Umi's palace at noon. It was all in Yugi's honor. All the people from Taokao and Kotao were invited, everyone who lost everything to the war. They all learned the story of the earthbound angel and how he had saved their kingdoms from the war. The demon was never mentioned, as all of those whose souls had been taken by the demon before had no memory of what had happened.

Yugi was looked upon as a hero by the people and barely got any rest as everyone wanted to meet him. Umi and Hiroshi appointed Zorro, Kage, Amaya, and Yasu to protect him from the "large crowds". Koneko, Neil, and Nessuro helped them with that while enjoying the party with him. This time, the warriors were wearing silk robes specially made in the palace. Now that the war was over, the armors were off.

"Well, at least now things seem to be a little brighter now." Yugi commented.

Yugi got a seat between King Umi and King Hiroshi, a recognition for being the guest of honor. Cerulean and Ryu took their places next to their brothers. Kage, Koneko, Nessuro, Neil, and the bodyguards took seats next to the two little princes. The kings waited for everyone to sit, with their plates full. Wine was served for the adults, and juice for the children. The people felt like royalty themselves that day. Umi and Hiroshi asked for silence and their people quieted down.

"Ladies and gentleman, thank you for coming." Umi said. "Today is a day to remember for all time! For too long, we have been pitted against one another not knowing why."

"Well, the war is over!" Hiroshi proclaimed. "The one who brought back the light, and made us all come to our senses, is here with us. This feast is in his honor."

The people of Taokao and Kotao clapped and cheered loudly. Umi and Hiroshi raised their cups of wine, their brothers and friends following their moves.

"A toast for Yugi Mutou!" Hiroshi said.

"To recognize him for his efforts." said Umi. "His bravery, his kindness, for bringing peace, and bringing our kingdoms...our families back together." With that he brought his cup to his lips and drank, everyone else doing the same.

After the toast, the people cheered again. They were so hungry all the food was gone in less than an hour. Bellies were full and the entertainment served well for the children. Yugi and his new friends also enjoyed themselves, but no matter how happy the atmosphere was, the earthbound angel's mind kept drifting with thoughts of his real home.

Koneko, Kage, Nessuro, Neil, Umi, and Hiroshi caught up to each other in the party, each telling their story of what they had gone through during the war years. Kage was furious when he heard about what Max had done to Koneko after Nessuro sold her to him. Said man was in the party and Hiei's alternate double almost killed him and his right hand, Korosu. But the young warrior was held back as King Hiroshi and King Umi made a royal decree and confiscated Max's title and his gold mines. Max and Korosu were sentenced to the dungeons and the gold mines were given to Nessuro and Neil, who shared them amongst themselves. They were now owners of all the gold mines in Taokao.

Once the festivities were approaching their end, King Umi and King Hiroshi had their people gathered one more time for one last official announcement. Nessuro, Neil, Koneko, Kage, Cerulean, and Ryu stood close to Yugi as Zorro and Amaya stood in front of him holding a medium-sized chest made of gold and silver. They opened it and inside was a large gold medal with a seal carved on it. Umi and Hiroshi took the medal and place it over his head, around his neck.

"This seal was just made yesterday, made from the two seals that represented Taokao and Kotao." Hiroshi said.

"Now this one symbol represents both our kingdoms." Umi said. "It is our gift to you, to thank you for saving us."

"It is not easy to make peace, but it's harder to maintain it." said Hiroshi. "That is why we want to give you this honor."

"You are Yugi Mutou, the Guardian of Justice!"

Yugi blushed at the given title and the crowds cheered one more time. The alternate doubles clapped as well, soon joined by the kings themselves. In the mist of the noise, Yugi noticed a little white sparkle of light floating just above their heads. No one else seemed to have seen it. The little warrior followed it with his amethyst eyes as the sparkle flew away, towards Umi's palace.

"Yugi-sama, is something wrong?"

Neil's voice snapped him out his trance and he turned to his friends who were looking at him with concern.

"I'm sorry, guys, please excuse me."

Yugi then ran off to follow white sparkle. His friends called out for him. When he didn't stop, they went after him. Zorro, Amaya, and Yasu were left to handle the crowds.

The small teen dashed past the palace gates and went straight for the gardens. The little light floated above the flower beds and he stopped in front of it. The light grew bigger and took form. Yugi gasped as he saw the blonde and white figure floating in mid air.

"Black Magician Girl!"

The blonde smiled at him. Her mage armor and staff were missing. She wore an elegant silky silver robe with cherry blossoms on the sleeves and on the bottom of the skirt.

"Please, Yugi-sama, call me Mana." she said cheerfully. "That is my name."

"Alright, Mana. I'm glad to see you again. You left last night without saying goodbye. I was worried."

"I'm sorry, Yugi-sama. I needed some time to think."

"Think about what?"

"Since all my friends are gone, I've decided to come live among other people. I don't want to live alone, for I have no home." The last part she said sadly.

"Now, that's not true."

Yugi turned and Mana looked past Yugi's shoulder. The alternate doubles stood right behind them. Umi stepped forward.

"Mana-san, you may come live in the palace if you wish." he said. "You helped us as well, giving us hope with the Prophecy of Light and bringing the earthbound angel down the right path through your guidance."

"He's right." Yugi said. "Without you I would still be lost, not knowing what to do."

"Thank you all." Mana said.

Yugi sighed and looked down at Hiei's katana, which was attached to his robe. The weapon was a constant reminder of the one who gave it to him.

"I want to thank you as well." Yugi said, turning to the alternate doubles. "You comforted me, cheered me up, and offered me a place to stay."

"Yugi-sama..." said Koneko, smiling at him.

That's when the skies darkened slowly. The winds blew softly, stronger by the seconds. Yugi and the alternate doubles looked up confused by the sudden change of weather. It was barely after noon yet. When lightning stroke out of the gathering clouds, they began to panic thinking they were under attack.

"What's going on!" Kage yelled.

"Look!" shouted Nessuro and everyone looked up.

A huge swirling hole appeared on the clouds above Yugi's form. A column of light shot out from it, engulfing Yugi completely.

"What the-! Whoa!" The light sucked Yugi up and he disappeared into the dark hole.

"YUGI!" the alternate doubles shouted after him, but he was gone.

8888888888

Yugi's Universe...

"It's working!" Ryou said.

"Pull, Marlene, pull!" Yami yelled.

Marlene knelt in front of the TV set. The screen glowed white and her entire right arm was buried inside of it. She was pulling with all her strength; she buried her left arm into screen to help. Yami knelt behind her pulling her by the waist. They were both pulling and the others encouraged them excitedly.

"Pull, pull, pull!"

With one last grunt, Marlene and Yami succeeded. The blonde's arms came out of the TV, her hands holding none other than Yugi's arm! Yugi practically flew out of the TV and crashed right into Marlene and Yami, sending them to the floor. The screen went black as if the TV turned off by itself.

Yugi groaned. He felt lightheaded and dizzy. What had happened? He was lying on something soft...

"Desert bunny..."

Yugi's eyes opened wide. No one called him that except...He raised his head and amethyst eyes stared into amused hazel ones. He then realized he was lying on top of his girlfriend. The softness he felt was her chest.

"My desert prince." she said. "You know I love you. But when our relationship takes this turn," She smirked. "I will be on top."

That turned Yugi's cheeks a bright cherry red and he stammered for words.

"M-Marlene-chan? B-but, h-h-how? I just..."

The blonde grinned. "I figured out more to this dimension traveling thanks to that demon."

The small teen glanced up at the others. "Everyone...you guys..."

"Hey..." Yami groaned from under Marlene and Yugi. "I know this is a joyful moment, but would you mind getting off? You're heavy!"

"Sorry." Yami was relieved of the weight and helped up. It was a moment of silence, and all hell broke lose.

"YUGI!"

All his friends went to Yugi almost at the same time. Seto and Bakura stayed back and watched as Yugi was crushed with hugs and laughs, and kisses from his girlfriend who came close to cracking his ribs with her embrace. Yugi was back home, safe and sound, as he should be.

"Yugi, we thought we've never see you again!"

"Yami almost blew the house up when we thought you were dead!"

"Are you ok!"

"I knew you weren't dead, desert bunny, but they didn't believe me!"

"We saw you fighting that demon! You're awesome!"

Yugi was very happy to be home, even with the overlapping questions and comments from his friends talking at the same time. Home sweet dimension...And he gasped. The alternate doubles!

"Oh no!" Everyone stopped their overlapped talking at once.

"What's wrong, Aibou?" Yami asked.

"I left all of the sudden! What happened to the alternate doubles?"

Marlene smiled. "They are fine...Look."

Yugi and the rest turned back to the TV set. The screen was back on and it showed the garden at Umi's palace. The alternate doubles all stared at where Yugi had once stood.

8888888888

Alternate Universe...

"What just happened!" Hiroshi said.

"Where's Yugi-sama?" Neil asked.

"Is this the work of another demon?" Kage said.

"Please, everyone calm down." Their attention was turned to Mana, who was smiling at the sky. The sky had brightened up again after Yugi disappeared and everything was clear and peaceful again. "The earthbound angel is back where he belongs."

"He left?" Umi said. "Without saying goodbye?"

Nessuro smiled. "The way he left, I don't think he was given a choice about it."

"He lives in another dimension." Koneko said sadly. "We may never see him again. Will he forget about us?"

"If he wants to, though I doubt it." Mana said.

"Yeah." Neil agreed. "Who would forget what he did here?" He chuckled.

"We had lots of fun!" Cerulean said. Ryu agreed with him.

"But one thing is for sure." Nessuro said. "We will never forget him...Never..."

Koneko extended her fist in front of herself. "For Yugi Mutou, the Guardian of Justice."

One by one, each of the alternate doubles placed one hand over her fist.

"For Yugi Mutou." They said together.

"May your journey be a safe one." Koneko said. "We will always stay together. It's our promise."

8888888888

Yugi's Universe...

The TV went black. The image of the alternate universe was gone.

Yugi took Hiei's katana from his robes and offered it to Marlene.

"I think this belongs to you."

The blonde smiled almost sadly as she took it. "Thanks, for taking care of it. I can always count on you." She giggled. "This was definitely the most bizarre adventure that has ever drag you to it, Yugi-kun."

"And we watched everything." said Ryou.

The concept of being watched rang in Yugi's head. His cheeks turned red at the thought.

"Wait a second!" he said loudly. "You didn't watch me during every pit stop or when I changed clothes, did you!"

Marlene spoke up. "Nah, I turned the TV off whenever that happened." Another smirk. "Your cute ass is for me to see only."

If possible, Yugi turned redder, finding his feet interesting.

Jou laughed. "We recorded everything! We should sell that movie. We could make a fortune. I can see it now: On Theaters! Yugi Mutou's Epic Adventure! Director's Cut!"

"Absolutely not!" Yugi shouted, his feet no longer interesting.

"Oh, why not?" said Marlene. "It's a great idea. You'll be famous, Yugi-kun!"

"Aren't I famous enough?" Yugi looked grim.

"This will be a hit!" said Jou. "Who's with me?"

The entrance to Marlene's house slammed open and a small party dashed out. Yami, Marlene, Jou, and Honda ran away with the tape, laughing as Yugi chased them.

"Guys, wait! Come back here with that tape!"

Bakura, Ryou, Seto, Mokuba, and Shizuka didn't follow but watched the others from the front door in amusement. Yugi was easily left in the dust since he wasn't a fast runner. His voice echoed in the distance.

"THAT'S SO UNFAIR! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YOU WILL ALL PAY!"

People stared at the teens as they ran by with the fuming screaming midget behind them.

Home Sweet Universe...indeed...

Owari

Saiyan Moon Goddess: I can't believe it's finally over! I even made a pic of Black Magician Girl carrying Yugi, but I couldn't draw his warrior armor so I dressed him in one of his normal attires. If interested you may find the pic in The Yugi Palace at Yahoo! Just look for My Album in the Photos link.

Yugi: What about that Epilogue you wrote?

Saiyan Moon Goddess: I'm not sure whether to post it or not. What do you readers think? Still, it's not easy for me to finish what I start. It's hard for me to believe I finished this. I hope you all liked it and tell me if you want the epilogue. Maybe find out what happened to the tape? REVIEW!


	23. Epilogue

Saiyan Moon Goddess: I'd like to thank everyone who enjoyed the fic, and, of course, all of those who reviewed. I'm thinking about writing new stories after this one.

Yugi: How about you finish your old stories first? You have some unfinished "business".

Saiyan Moon Goddess: You mean The World of Endless Tears and Ginkoneko Hikari?

Hiei: And Chibi Hiei on the Run.

Saiyan Moon Goddess: I need ideas and inspiration. Until then, they're on hold. In the mean time, let's finish this story.

"talk"

'thoughts'

Alternate Universe Twist by Saiyan Moon Goddess

Epilogue

Two years passed since Yugi came back from the alternate universe. With a little help and influence from a certain CEO from Kaiba Corp (and help from a certain little brother), the tape containing Yugi's adventure in the other dimension was a big hit on theatres. It was first released all over Japan, then worlwide as a foreign Japanese movie. Directors from Hollywood came from North America, offering Yugi contracts and opportunities. As Yugi's manager, Marlene helped out and cut out the "unnecessary" scenes from the tape. The movie made lots of millions in just its first few days. Now Yugi had fan clubs all over the world.

Of course, his friends had to find a way to explain the tape as to not reveal the dimension traveling. That meant that Yami, Ryou, Bakura, Malik, Jou, even Anzu and Mai were recognized. Marlene had to call her cousin Kurama, Yukina, and Yusuke, and explained to them what happened. At first, it was hard to believe but Koenma had noticed the rifts in their dimension, which had closed after Yugi's return. The three agreed to take credit for their parts in the movie. Any others stayed as anonymous actors. "Special effects" Marlene said were Kaiba Corp technology, and Seto took credit for that.

Yugi moved out of the Kame Game Shop. With his popularity increased the shop's business went through the roof, but he had no choice as fans pooled around the building to get to him. He got his own apartment at the outskirts of Domino. And Marlene moved in with him. His friends visited every now and then. Those who accepted movie contracts themselves had busy schedules but always managed to find some time for their friends. Among these were Yami, Ryou, Malik, and Jou. Bakura had no interest in "modern world entertainment", Mai and Anzu used their opportunities but went their own ways.

It was a regular day, only quieter. Yugi and Marlene finally found some time off from work. So they were still in bed at 10 A.M. They lay awake in each others' arms ignoring the sunlight coming from the window. The blonde would've gotten up to eat something but Yugi refused to let her up.

"Desert prince, you feel like getting up yet?"

Yugi only held her closer to his bare chest, enjoying her warmth.

"No, I don't think so."

"But what if someone calls my cell?"

"Whoever it is can wait." He kissed her lips softly. "We need a vacation."

She smiled. "I thought you'd never say that.. I got just the thing."

Marlene tried to get off him, but the tricolor-haired young man held her tighter..

"Oh, no you don't." Yugi said. "I don't want to lose the moment just yet."

"I knew you'd say that." she said, smirking. "So I came prepared."

The blonde reached over to the nightstand beside the bed and pulled a magazine from under the alarm clock. She opened it and showed and article to Yugi. He looked at it with thought.

"It's a small and humble country side." said Marlene. "But we can find lots of peace and quiet there."

"Looks like it's hot over daytime." Yugi commented.

"Are you sure you're not just afraid of getting sand in your pants?" Yugi mock-glared at her and she chuckled. "Besides, during the night it's really cold." She rubbed her body against his under the blankets.

The young man moaned, liking the touch. "It's perfect."

"Then that settles it. We're going. I'll call all our friends after lunch. It won't be a vacation without them."

"How about some exercise before lunch?"

"Yugi, I'm still sore from last night..." She was shut up when warm lips covered her own. "Hmm...Yugi..." Marlene broke the kiss. "Don't kiss me like that. You know I can't control myself."

"Then don't." Another kiss, deeper this time.

"Hmmm...I truly...am...hmmm...a bad...influenze...on you..." 'Yami is going to freak at how not so innocent his hikari really is. Or he knows already?'

Yugi entwined his fingers with hers and they fought for dominance. On Marlene's left hand, a silver-band ring with a tiny saphire shone with the sunlight.

Sweet moments...

In the squirms and struggles, the magazine fell off the bed, open on the page the couple were looking at. The article was titled...

Perfection, Nevada.

Uh oh...

Owari!

Saiyan Moon Goddess: And that's it, people! AUT is officially done! Thank yous for everyone who reviewed and, of course, to our one and only DJ Rodriguez who helped me whenever I had writer's block!

NOTE: Before anyone jumps to conclusions about the saphire ring, Yugi and Marlene are NOT married. They are ENGAGED! Why? Because I wanted it to end like that. MUAHAHAHAHAHA!

Yugi: Ignore the crazy authoress. We hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for upcoming ideas.

NOTE: For those who know the "story" behind Perfection, Nevada, let me explain. DJ Rodriguez and I planned to make a sequel to Alternate Universe Twist, a Yugioh/Tremors Xover. I don't know if DJ is still up to it since I spent a lot of time finishing this fic, but if he is, there might be a sequel to this story. Anyone up for Duel Monsters VS Graboids and what-not? STAY TUNED! Thank you for your attention!


End file.
